Rising British stars Mimi Xu and Mika Stojsavljevic through to the Lexus Wrexham Open final
Pictured: Mimi Xu impressed again as she won her semi-final at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre. Pictures: Malcolm Couzens.
Mimi Xu and Mika Stojsavljevic, two of the rising stars of British tennis, will face each other in tomorrow's Lexus Wrexham Open final as the tournament heads for an exciting conclusion. A sell-out crowd has snapped up all the available tickets, just over 600, for finals day at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre. Teenagers Xu and Stojsavljevic continued their highly-impressive weeks by delivering fine performances to win today's semi-finals.
Welsh ace Xu beat British No.8 Lily Miyazaki in three sets, before Stojsavljevic - the winner of the ITF W35 Birmingham tournament last week - got the better of Elena Malygina from Estonia in straight sets. Xu then completed another good day’s work by teaming up with Ella McDonald, another Brit, to reach the doubles final.
Tomorrow’s action will start with the singles final at 2pm - spectators are asked to be in their seats by 1.30pm - with the doubles final to follow to wrap up a successful ITF World Tennis Tour event. Xu, 18, from Swansea maintained her consistent form by securing a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Miyazaki in the day’s opening match. Stojsavljevic, 16, from London, who has yet to drop a set in reaching the final, then extended that sequence by enjoying a 6-2, 6-0 win in just over an hour against Malygina, who reached both the singles and doubles semi-finals during an impressive week in Wrexham.
Xu said: "I think I came out and I was playing really well at the start and mostly through the second as well.
"I think Lily did a really good job of finding the pressure when I broke her and just making me work for each point, and she was the better player at the end of the second, but I think I did a really good job of just resetting and staying in the moment in the third set, and really happy to get through it.”
Xu was again delighted with the support she received from the home crowd: "The supports means everything to me,” she added. "This is my biggest final that I’ve been in and just to do it in Wales, when I go out on court I really feel the support.
"I really feel that people are willing me on when moments get tight. They are getting me through them, lifting my energy, lifting my spirits.”
Reflecting on her week, Stojsavljevic, the former US Open junior champion, said: “It's been really, really amazing. I’ve just been enjoying spending time on the court and it's been good for me to build on last week too.”
On facing Xu in the final, she added: “We both know each other well and hopefully it will be a great match, and I’m excited for it.”
The two singles finalists faced each in Birmingham last week when Stojsavljevic emerged as 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 winner over Xu in the quarter-finals on her way to becoming champion. Xu also booked an appearance in tomorrow’s doubles final after partnering McDonald to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Miyazaki and Freya Christie in an all-British last four clash. Xu and McDonald will now play Amarni Banks, another British player, and Valentina Ryser from Switzerland in the final.
Dave Courteen, tournament promoter, said: “It was another incredible crowd for semi-finals day and we are delighted it’s going to be a sell-out crowd for finals day.
"The way the local area has supported the tournament through the week is fantastic, and they have helped create a special atmosphere for the players.
“Mimi and Mika have played so impressively all week. They are two wonderfully talented young players and it promises to be a brilliant final.
“That Mimi is also through to the doubles final is an amazing achievement, and the fact that three of the four players in the doubles final are young British players is also very encouraging for the future of British tennis.”