Championship Week
Yee Sweeps Titles at Girls 16 Nationals
by Keith Kropp, 16 August 2012
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Kimberly Yee began her journey toward one of the most prestigious titles in junior tennis on Sunday, Aug. 5, on the Stadium Court of the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego and six days later returned to that same court to complete a brilliant week with a resounding victory over a talented opponent.
Girls' 16s Champion
Kimberly Yee © Julie Wrege, TennisRecruiting.net
Yee, a 15-year-old from Las Vegas, defeated
Katerina Stewart of Miami, Fla., to capture the 16s championship at the
USTA Junior Girls Nationals. The second-seeded Yee controlled the match throughout and avenged a loss to Stewart at the Easter Bowl four months ago.
Yee was the first seeded player to appear on Stadium Court on Day 2 and she had to battle for approximately 90 minutes before securing a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Samantha Hampton of Vancouver, Wash. That second-round win set the tone for the talented Blue Chip recruit, who backed up that effort with five more straight-set victories to earn a spot in the Aug. 12 final. In her seven matches, Yee lost only 24 games.
One of Yee's victories came against her doubles partner, Mariana Gould of Boise, Idaho. The 17th-seeded Gould, who had won her previous four matches in straight sets and was coming off an upset of No. 8 Meredith Xepoleas of Huntington Beach, Calif., managed just four games off Yee in a 6-2, 6-2 quarterfinal loss.
Yee and Gould proved to be a formidable duo in the doubles, winning six matches en route to capturing the title. There were some tense moments along the way - against Ena Shibahara of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., and Savannah Slaysman of Phoenix, Ariz., in the round of 16 and the championship match against Gabrielle Smith of Henderson, Nev., and Olivia Sneed of Prairie Village, Kan.
