Very much, just as with Sir Garfield Sobers in his formative years, Nathan Xu was thrown into the heat of the battle, it was a baptism of fire; at the time he was only 10 years old. He celebrated his 11th birthday on Saturday 8th November, one week after the tournament had concluded.

One year later in Sharm El-Sheikh he was again on duty at the 2015 ITTF World Cadet Challenge, as in Bridgetown there was to be no place on the podium but step by step, tournament by tournament, the Kiwi was gaining valuable experience; in 2017, the travels paid dividends.

Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games

At the 2017 Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in the Australian city of Bendigo; he reserved his place for the following year in Buenos Aires.

Moreover, he succeeded against formidable opposition; he recovered from a two games to nil deficit in the first stage of proceedings to record a six games win against Aistralia’s Ben Gould (9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 12-10), before repeating the success when the pair met again in the main draw (11-5, 11-3, 11-8, 5-11, 12-10).

Later he accounted for fellow New Zealander, Zhao Yanglin (11-3, 11-5, 9-11, 11-2, 12-10) to reserve his precious place.

Watershed year

Undoubtedly, the year 2017 was a watershed. In addition at the Australian Junior and Cadet Open in Tweed Heads; he won the cadet boys’ singles title accounting for the host nation’s Nicholas Lum in the final (9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8), before reaching the last eight of the junior boys’ singles event where Japan’s Shunsuke Tsukidate ended adventures (11-6, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5).

Equally in 2018, Nathan Xu enjoyed success. In the Cook Islands, he won the boys’ singles title at the Oceania Junior Championships, beating Australia’s Finn Luu in the final (13-11, 16-14, 11-5), before at the ITTF World Junior Circuit tournament progressing to the later rounds. He reached the semi-final round of the cadet boys’ singles losing to China’s Sun Haoran (11-6, 11-8, 12-10), prior to advancing to the junior boys’ singles quarter-finals where Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen ended progress (11-5, 11-1, 11-4, 11-5).

Later in the year, again Nathan Xu impressed; he progress to the quarter-final stage of the junior boys’ singles event at the China Junior and Cadet Open, losing to the host’s Yuan Licen (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9).

Most noteworthy success

Success at the Oceania Junior Championships, it was the same in 2019 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga; he beat Australia’s Lee Yonghun (11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 6-11, 9-11, 11-2).

Podium places but at cadet and junior level; of the medal finishes arguably that most impressive came at in 2019 at ITTF Oceania Cup in Bora Bora, French Polynesia. He finished in third place; he experienced a semi-final defeat at the hands of Australia’s Rohan Dhooria (11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9) prior to overcoming Tahiti’s Ocean Belrose (11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-2).

A notable effort, now the next step awaits, success outside Oceania, success in particular against Asian and European players; he has displayed the talent, he has the experience. Now seize the opportunity.