Mimi (Mingge) Xu

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Mimi (Mingge) Xu

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Congrats to Mimi, for winning the J4 title at Loughborough, at age 13

Comparisons are bound to be made with Emma Rad, who won the Liverpool J5 when she was 13 - but that's just a J5 and this is a J4 - move over, Emma

Seriously, brilliant week and I expect she thoroughly deserved it - as above, VERY impressed when I saw her live this summer. Will be very interesting to watch.....

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

As of 27/09/21, Mimi Xu is now JWR 358 (+196), which is 6th in the world for 2007-ers.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

24/01/22

In Mimi's first ever ITF adult tournament (the 25k at Loughborough) she got a wildcard into qualis.

And then won her first match very easily.

AND then defeated the top seed in qualifying, Bilardo, ranked 733 (CH 547), winning 6-1 6-0

An excellent performance. Sign of things to come.....

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

CD, you are more informed than most of us on these things. Out of the following, where would you rate them currently and in terms of potential?

Mingge Zu
Hep Oluwadare
Hannah Klugman
Ella MacDonald

I am sure there are many more who could get mentioned but out of interest?

In fact, if you had to rate our top 5 junior prospects through the age groups, girls and separately boys, what would your feel be? Anyone can respond, but mainly aimed at CD as you seem to know the juniors through the age groups?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
CD, you are more informed than most of us on these things. Out of the following, where would you rate them currently and in terms of potential?

Mingge Zu
Hep Oluwadare
Hannah Klugman
Ella MacDonald

I am sure there are many more who could get mentioned but out of interest?

In fact, if you had to rate our top 5 junior prospects through the age groups, girls and separately boys, what would your feel be? Anyone can respond, but mainly aimed at CD as you seem to know the juniors through the age groups?

Not more informed at all, but - yes - interested.

It's difficult to compare different age groups. And honestly I never do a ranking list.

I follow (and bet for the future) on a group that I think have potential - i.e. if you take your 3 or 4 top faves (in a good year), at age 14 or 15, I'd expect two of them, say, to do well. And generally that works out.

On the big junior stage, Ella is nothing 'special' in that she is 2005 born and ranked 186

There are six players in the top ten who are 2005 or younger. (And that's not including a lot of ones who don't play juniors any more)

So she's miles off the pace if you believe that junior rankings are important.

(But, as people will mention, players like Emma were not necessarily flying that high as juniors either - you expect a decent showing, if you come from a country that promotes junior tennis, like the UK, and you have a really poor junior ranking, it begs a question, but you don't always need a top one).

To be honest, I don't know Ella very well - I know Eva and Ranah a lot better (also 2005)

The younger ones though, yes, I've been following since U12 level.

On a global scale, Hannah is the about the best in the world at the moment. Has a really technically good game (important groundwork for the future), great balance, lovely acceleration, a good head on her shoulders, looks like she's going to be reasonably tall, good family.....So much can still go wrong, of course, but if you wanted a snapshot of now, she is the best on the list.

But I have a huge amount of time for Hep and Mimi. Very different games. But both very promising.

ADD: Not doing boys in Mimi's thread, Jon smile

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 24th of January 2022 03:44:47 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
CD, you are more informed than most of us on these things. Out of the following, where would you rate them currently and in terms of potential?

Mingge Zu
Hep Oluwadare
Hannah Klugman
Ella MacDonald

I am sure there are many more who could get mentioned but out of interest?

In fact, if you had to rate our top 5 junior prospects through the age groups, girls and separately boys, what would your feel be? Anyone can respond, but mainly aimed at CD as you seem to know the juniors through the age groups?
Not more informed at all, but - yes - interested.
It's difficult to compare different age groups. And honestly I never do a ranking list.
I follow (and bet for the future) on a group that I think have potential - i.e. if you take your 3 or 4 top faves (in a good year), at age 14 or 15, I'd expect two of them, say, to do well. And generally that works out.
On the big junior stage, Ella is nothing 'special' in that she is 2005 born and ranked 186
There are six players in the top ten who are 2005 or younger. (And that's not including a lot of ones who don't play juniors any more)
So she's miles off the pace if you believe that junior rankings are important.
(But, as people will mention, players like Emma were not necessarily flying that high as juniors either - you expect a decent showing, if you come from a country that promotes junior tennis, like the UK, and you have a really poor junior ranking, it begs a question, but you don't always need a top one).
To be honest, I don't know Ella very well - I know Eva and Ranah a lot better (also 2005)
The younger ones though, yes, I've been following since U12 level.
On a global scale, Hannah is the about the best in the world at the moment. Has a really technically good game (important groundwork for the future), great balance, lovely acceleration, a good head on her shoulders, looks like she's going to be reasonably tall, good family.....So much can still go wrong, of course, but if you wanted a snapshot of now, she is the best on the list.
But I have a huge amount of time for Hep and Mimi. Very different games. But both very promising.

Cool thanks Cd, as they are just names to me. Based on the number of general positive comments, I assumed you'd say something like that but wasnt sure. Will follow with interest.

Whilst I am asking - who are your 3 to follow in the boys??

paulisi · Tennis legend

Very difficult to compare as they have different styles and physiques as they get older.

Mimi is very powerful similar to the likes of Jodie Burrage at junior level.
Hep - cannot comment as only seen in doubles at TE event.
Emma Raducanu had a more all round game at junior. Very good defensively and her lack of power was complimented by the way she pulled her opponents all round the court. A bit like some of the smaller junior boys- Ben Gusic Wan, Matt Rutter, Toby Samuel etc
Hannah - not seen live yet, but hopefully at Liverpool

Very difficult to assess the current 15-16 yr olds as a lot have been impacted by covid - less competition travel for them and their opponents.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
Very difficult to compare as they have different styles and physiques as they get older.

Mimi is very powerful similar to the likes of Jodie Burrage at junior level.
Hep - cannot comment as only seen in doubles at TE event.
Emma Raducanu had a more all round game at junior. Very good defensively and her lack of power was complimented by the way she pulled her opponents all round the court. A bit like some of the smaller junior boys- Ben Gusic Wan, Matt Rutter, Toby Samuel etc
Hannah - not seen live yet, but hopefully at Liverpool

Very difficult to assess the current 15-16 yr olds as a lot have been impacted by covid - less competition travel for them and their opponents.

thanks Paulisi - guess we will have to wait a bit. As someone who just sees names, it is hard to pick out the ones to get too excited about, as the rankings can completely mis lead at this level of the game, and age makes such a difference!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Getting it back on Mimi (it's her thread, after all), and unlike paulisi, Mimi doesn't remind me of Jodie at all - it's true Jodie was also tall and powerful but so were Freya and Hannah Smith and Eva Shaw and a lot of others (indeed, Eva reminds me quite a bit of Jodie on court).

Mimi is extremely calm on court and very methodical (quite unlike Jodie). She works through her schemas, almost mechanically at times (which is not a criticism, quite the opposite, you can see she does just what she's practiced - she must be a joy to coach). And comes forward very naturally, as part of that.

NB I do wonder if she's had slight back problems or something - her service action has changed in a way that might imply she has (or it might just be natural development, of course.....)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

U18 National Championships April 2022

Mimi Xu defeated Talia Neilson-Gatenby 6-4 7-5

So, that's a wildcard into qualis at the Wimbledon Open !

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

U16 National Championships April 2022

Mimi Xu defeated Hannah Klugman 6-3 7-6(5)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And, on 16/05/22, Mimi enters the adult singles rankings, with a ranking of WTA 1176 !

(her extra points to be ranked came from a rather fortunate draw win, over 14 year-old Lois Newberry (WC) at Notts - but a great achievement)

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 16th of May 2022 07:34:40 AM

DavidC · Tennis legend

The Beeb have picked up on a potential record Mimi could break this week

christ · Futures level

DavidC wrote:
The Beeb have picked up on a potential record Mimi could break this week

"Just three qualifying matches stand between the 14-year-old from Swansea and the senior ladies' draw."

Is that all?