For many spectators, the match of last year’s Mark Bates Ltd National Championships was the Women’s Singles semi-final between Tin-Tin Ho and Tianer Yu.

Ho, the top seed who went on to win her sixth title, was visibly relieved when she completed a 4-3 (6-11, 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9) victory.

A year later, Yu is seeded to meet Ho in the final – and has taken on board some valuable lessons from their last meeting.

“Obviously, Tin-Tin is a very good player and I was really excited to play against her,” said the 17-year-old, who prefers to be known as Tia.

“I didn’t really have expectations before the match started, but I think it was the fourth set, I was behind in that set but managed to win it. That was a turning point.”

That game saw Tia come from 8-3 down with a run of points to win it 11-8 and level the match, giving her the belief to push on and take it deep into a decider – and at 8-8 in the seventh it was anyone’s to win.

“It was a matter of who believed in themselves more and who was braver,” she says. “That was a lesson to learn from that match. I think it’s to have the belief in yourself, to trust yourself and go for the shots you should go for.

“I’d never really played into a seventh set and maybe she had more experience. It was on one table with everyone watching, which was a bit scary, but hopefully having that experience last year, it won’t be so intimidating this time.

“It’s really exciting to be second seed. I look forward to this tournament because it’s the biggest in England in the whole year and, being the second seed, people expect a lot from me.

“But I’ll treat it like any other tournament and will just take every match as it comes to me. It would be great if I could get to the final because that’s a step further than last year.”

That mantra of always taking an extra step, improving on what went before, is a common theme when talking to Tia, who comes across as thoughtful and determined.

As well as drawing on last year’s experience, she can also point to a fine performance at the European Team Qualifying Tournament, including notching the victory which clinched qualification for the European Championships.

“It was my first Senior team tournament, so it was a new experience and I think I learned a lot from it,” she says, “not just from the matches I won but when I lost a match – how to pick yourself up and play the next match in a fresh mindset.

“I think that aspect of team tournaments is really good because you learn how to get rid of negative emotions really fast, and that’s helpful for the singles as well. If you win your next match it feels better than if you’ve lost and you can’t do anything.

“It feels like you’re supported by five people and you’re not alone. Even when you lose a point, or doubt yourself, they are like ‘you can do it’ and that gives you a lot of confidence.

“We wanted to qualify and we thought it was doable and now it will be a great learning experience because we’re going to play the best teams in Europe.”

Tia arrives at the Nationals, in her words, “in a good place and quite fresh” and on the back of defeating world No 29 Junior Karolina Holda at the WTT Youth Contender Berlin. Tia is currently ranked No 141.

The WTT Feeder Manchester is next month and Tia is again looking to take a step forward at that event, and to play more on the WTT Senior circuit.

“I hope to win a singles match because I lost 3-0 last year,” she says, “and the aim is to get a medal in the doubles because we were really close last year. Me and Sophie (Earley) lost 11-9 in the fifth in the quarter-finals (to Tin-Tin Ho & Anna Hursey).

“I’ve always really wanted to win a WTT medal and if that’s a Senior one then that’s even better.”

She says this year’s WTT Star Contender London and the World Championships in the same city in 2026 is “all very exciting”, and has an eye on another major city – Los Angeles – a couple of years later.

“My goal is to go to the Olympics in 2028,” she says. “It’s going to be difficult and my next step will be to play more Senior events. But I have to take one step at a time.”