Mimi Xu said that she was proud of her resilience after forcing former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Daria Kasatkina to a third set decider in her second ever Grand Slam match.

Xu was drawn against the experienced Australian in the first round of this year’s Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles tournament, having been given a wildcard spot in the main draw.

The 18-year-old was the firm underdog, having drawn a former quarter-finalist ranked some 259 places above her.

Kasatkina raced into a first set lead, 6-2, but Xu found her rhythm and took the second 6-3, before the 29-year-old’s quality told in the third set.

“She just settled into the match better than I did, I was trying to do the right things but I just had that feeling on my racket,” said Xu.

“I’m proud of myself on how I was able to forget about the first set, forget about that disappointment and refocus and go again.

“Her experience definitely showed in the tighter moments, but I I fought really well and I’m able to take my experiences from last year and this year into hopefully following years.”

Xu was playing just her second ever Grand Slam match, having also appeared in the first round of Wimbledon as a wildcard last year, losing to Emma Raducanu on her debut.

“I came back a lot more experienced, I had different emotions going into the match and I was a lot more excited and less nervous,” she added.

“But I think the crowd is always amazing and it’s just an amazing feeling being back.”

Despite her singles disappointment, Xu’s Wimbledon journey continues in the ladies doubles this week. She and fellow Brit Alicia Dudeney take on 2023 French Open doubles champions Hsieh Su-Wei and Wang Xinyu.

“We get on really well, it’s our third tournament together, we’re going to enjoy it and embrace every single moment,” said Xu.

“We’ve got two very experienced and good doubles players, it’ll be tough, but I think we’re ready just to go out and enjoy the moment.”

If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.

Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.

You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.