Teenage sensation Mimi Xu insists she CAN beat British No 1 Emma Raducanu as the pair prepare to face off at Wimbledon

Mimi Xu, aged all of 17, will take to one of Wimbledon’s premier courts on Monday to play her childhood hero Emma Raducanu - and she will do so fully believing she can win.

‘Recently I've been playing really well,’ said Xu, the Welsh daughter of Chinese parents. ‘My game really suits grass, I'm really confident in my game at the moment. So I'm gonna go out there, enjoy every moment, give it a good go. I believe I've got a good chance if I do all that.’

Xu is right to be confident. She has had a fantastic few weeks, reaching the quarter-finals in Birmingham and recording a debut WTA Tour win in Nottingham. And Raducanu is still contending with the lingering effects of a back spasm.

‘We were moving into an Airbnb this morning,’ said Xu, ‘and I get a message from my coach, “What an exciting draw”. And then my mum's getting messages saying: “That's so good, so exciting” - but none of them were saying the name.

‘I'm like: “Oh my gosh, what is the draw? Who am I playing?” Eventually someone told me I'm playing Emma. I feel like I'm really ready for it. I'm really excited for it.’

For players of Xu’s age - she is part of a golden generation, with 16-year-old colleagues Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavlevic also making their debuts this week - Raducanu’s US Open title in 2021 made her a hero.

‘I was at Loughborough (one of the LTA’s high performance centres, where Xu trains and studies) when she was playing the US Open final, me and the other girls were huddled around the TV,’ recalled Xu. ‘S he's a really good role model to have.

‘The first time I hit with her was probably three years ago and she was really nice. She's a lovely person.’

Xu and Raducanu have more in common than prodigious tennis ability. Both have Chinese heritage - Raducanu through her mother’s side, while Xu’s parents are both from China - and both are top students.

Xu did maths A Level last year - two years early - and will do economics next year; the same A Levels Raducanu did. Xu is also doing biology - she sat two exams the day after matches in Birmingham and Nottingham.

In terms of A Levels, then, Xu will soon have Raducanu pipped by three to two. Can she also overcome her on the court?