Crowd deserves credit for my comeback victory, says teen
The 17-year-old was down a set and 5-3 to Kawa but battled back to record a richly deserved 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory after two hours and 24 minutes to continue her fine form on grass after previously dispatching top seed Alycia Parks on Monday.
Xu was one of three British representatives in the second round and the only one to progress after Jodie Burrage and Heather Watson's exits and she profusely thanked attendees at Birmingham for their support in helping her turn the tables on Kawa.
'At the start she [Kawa] was playing well and I was missing a bit too much but I knew there wasn't much in it going into the second set,' reflected a triumphant Xu.
'When I was 5-3 down I thought 'just enjoy every moment you can, play and just be free' and I managed to turn the match around.
'This is the earliest I've ever been on the grass. I've probably had the most time on the grass out of everyone and I'm going to use that to my advantage. I'm going to play my game and I've been training great and I've shown that I can compete as well.
'It has been amazing. This club is so beautiful and the people here got me through when I was 5-3 down. There was a massive roar for every point I won and that kept my energy up.'
The teenager's next opponent is France's Jessika Ponchet, who dispatched Watson 6-4 5-7 7-5, to reach the last eight.
After taking a tight second set, Watson seemed set to complete her own turnaround after racking up three match points in the second set.
But she was unable to convert her advantage, with Ponchet breaking at 5-5 before clinching the contest after over two and a half hours of play.
A similar fate befell Burrage, who was unable to find a way past Linda Fruhvirtova after recording her late 6-3 6-4 victory over Croatia's Jana Fett yesterday.
Burrage – who missed all of last year's grass court season through injury – defeated Fett 6-3 6-4 but was unable to continue her momentum against Fruhvirtova, losing out to the Czech 6-0 6-4.
Elsewhere, there was British success in the women's doubles as Alicia Barrett, partnered with France's Elixane Lechemia, progressed to the semifinals following victory against Swiss Viktorija Golubic and Belgian Greet Minnen 6-3 6-4.
But it wasn't to be in the men's doubles as the wildcard pairing of Jack Pinnington Jones and Lui Maxted exited in the last eight after defeat to France's Sadio Doumbia and Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner 6-3 6-3.
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We can't wait to cheer you on and have you home again! Our champ". In May 2020, the couple welcomed their second son: Roman Paul Kelly. At the time social distancing restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made labour for many women more lonely and frightening. Whilst Remy didn't share any details on how, or if, the pandemic impacted her experience giving birth, she hinted that it had been something of an overwhelming experience when she announced on social media that Roman had arrived. "Here he is it's certainly been a ride the last 24 hours, but our 6 pound 5 bundle of joy Roman Paul love you with all our hearts and can't wait to take you home to your big brother". Break u While both Remy and Josh regularly post their two beautiful sons on their social media - it seems the young couple have called it quits on their romance. The last time Josh mentioned his former wife on his social media was back in February 2023, when he captioned a holiday snap of himself with JJ and Roman by saying, "Love seeing my two boys growing up nothing more more sun and sand soon to and cheese these me and the wife @remykellyx live for these two little men." Remy has also changed her Instagram handle back to Smith, changing it from her married name of Kelly. What's more, Josh and Remy have also posted snaps with new partners this year, so it seems the pair have both moved on from the split. These days, 'Pretty Boy Kelly' is now dating a digital creator and founder of a marketing agency - Bego Maestro, who lives in Seville. The couple seem to be making it work long distance, with Bego captioning a post about Josh by saying, "The one who didn't want to love, is counting the days to see you again... 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