Fort Lee Girl Makes Quaterfinals at BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships

Most people would be wiped out after traveling halfway around the world, but that wasn't the case Saturday afternoon for Samantha Um of Fort Lee.

The eighth grader arrived in Fort Lee on Friday after a 21-hour flight from the Philippine capital of Manila. Less than 24 hours later, she was on the court competing in the first round of the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships in Flushing, N.Y. But jet lag wasn't a factor for Um, as she raced through her first round match in the Girls 14-and-under division with a 6-0, 6-0 blitzing of Karina Calderon of Georgetown, Texas.

“I was a little bit sleepy before going on the court, but was fine once I got out there,” said Um, who lives in Manila, but is staying with her grandparents in Fort Lee for the summer. “I wasn’t playing that well in the beginning just because I was trying to get used to the courts, but got much better as the match went on.”

Um was introduced to the sport at the age of 8 when her brother, Daniel, took it up. He is also competing in the tournament this weekend in the Boys 16-and-under division, but Um said there is no sibling rivalry between the two.

“We don’t compete with each other, so it’s nice to have him around because we can practice together or warm each other up before matches,” said Um. “We’ll have little bets during practice though where the loser has to do push-ups or something like that.”

The Philippines isn’t exactly known as a tennis hotbed, but Um said there is a strong group of juniors currently emerging from the Southeast Asian country. Um plays tournaments regularly in Manila while also practicing with some of the top junior players in the country.

“There’s a Philippines Tennis Association, which is basically like the United States Tennis Association, only a lot smaller,” said Um. “You see a lot of the same players in the tournaments out there because it’s not as big, which I think is nice.”

For now, Um is playing without a coach and just practicing with her brother at the for the summer. The pair are getting ready for a series of tournaments later this month in Port Washington and Randall’s Island.

Playing in the states does have its perks for Um though. The weekend tournament was held at the USTA National Tennis Center, which is the same site that plays host to the U.S. Open every summer. For Um, the chance to play on the same courts as her favorite pro players was a surreal experience.

“When I stepped out onto the courts this morning, I just started laughing because I thought it was such a cool experience,” said Um. “It took me a couple of games to get settled into it just because of the location, but eventually I just treated it like any other match.”

Editor's Note: Um lost to Jillian R. Auteri of Staten Island Sunday in a very close quarterfinal match, 4-6; 6-4(10-7). Auteri ultimately advanced to the finals, which are scheduled for Monday afternoon. For complete results of the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships, visit the tournament's drawsheet.