Yee enjoys ‘incredible’ U.S. Open experience

Kimberly Yee was having so much fun, she didn't have time to feel overwhelmed by her initial U.S. Open tennis experience.

The 14-year-old home-schooled high school freshman from Las Vegas reached the second round of the Junior Girls singles before losing to Sweden's Ellen Allgurin on Thursday.

Yee was a wild-card entrant and won two matches to get into the main draw. After then winning her first match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Monday, Yee's trip to New York was already deemed a success.

"It was incredible," Yee said. "It was so amazing, seeing all the players, being in the city. It was very cool. And to get into the main draw and win, I was so thrilled."

Yee was one of the youngest players competing at Flushing Meadows, and she was spotting her opponents strength and experience. Yet she won three matches and had a chance to advance deeper before losing her first-set tiebreaker, 8-6, to Allgurin and eventually falling 7-6, 6-0.

"This was a higher level of tennis than I had ever played," Yee said. "All the girls were very smart, so I knew I couldn't outslug them or anything. But if I stayed within myself and played smart, I thought I could do well."

Yee was unfazed by two days of postponements because of rain. However, she admitted to being thrown off her game after her match against Allgurin was moved from the National Tennis Center to an indoor facility in Port Chester, N.Y., about an hour north of Queens.

"I didn't mind the rain," she said. "I hung out in the players' lounge and relaxed. Mentally, I stayed positive and relaxed. But when my match got moved, I don't think I handled it well. I'm not used to playing indoors. It was different than what I'm used to -- the lights, the sound.

"Then I lost the first set, and I felt like I had to change up my game and go big. But I'm not going to overpower anyone with my game. That didn't work out, and I think I learned a valuable lesson and that's (to) stay true to who you are and stick with the game plan."

Yee, coached by Tim Blenkiron, returns to Las Vegas today. Her plan is to play some junior tournaments in the next couple of months and hope for a spot in the ITF Lexus of Las Vegas Open, scheduled for Sept. 26 through Oct. 2 at Red Rock Country Club.

"It would be great to get a chance to play at home in front of family and friends," Yee said. "It would be a great experience to play against older players. I think it would help me a lot."

Yee wasn't the only member of her family to have success at the U.S. Open. Her 17-year-old brother, Kristopher, was selected as a winner in the Arthur Ashe Essay Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Tennis Association.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter @stevecarprj.