This week, I sat down with freshman tennis star Katherine Yau '16 to talk about her hot streak, life on the junior circuit and her favorite players.
You have been on a great winning streak lately. What has enabled you to do so well?
KY: Definitely support from my teammates. I had a really big win when we played Princeton and I think the momentum from that really helped me improve my game. It gave me more confidence into my next matches and just kept me motivated to keep up what I was doing.
What has been the best part of your game?
KY: I think for me it's staying calm not getting too flustered when things are serious, or when things could go either way.
Has the team's overall struggle had any effect on your play?
KY: Definitely it's a team contribution we win together, we lose together. It's hard when you win your match and you do your part, but the team still loses. But we're still fighting for the same win. I don't think it's hindered my performance at all. It just makes me work so much harder and realize that my point matters and I want to win so much more to help the team.
Have you always primarily been a singles player?
KY: Yes, definitely.
Have you played doubles at all?
KY: Yeah, I did some doubles in Juniors, actually playing a lot with my partner here [Akiko Okuda '15]. Coming in, I knew her pretty well and our coach put us together. Singles is definitely my strong point though.
How does the junior circuit work for tennis?
KY: You don't play on a high school team it's an individual [geographic] section. Local tournaments would add up points within your section, and if you're ranked high in your section, you can play in national tournaments and then you'll get a national ranking. Normally for recruiting, you're ranked in your class for everyone who is going to college in that particular year.
Is there any junior international circuit at all?KY: There is, I think it's called ITF. The next step after nationals would be playing in international competitions. Those tournaments can be really costly and it's usually single elimination, whereas in the States there's usually a back draw. That's typically the next level if you are trying to go pro.
Would you ever consider going pro?
KY: If I did, I would've taken a different path when I was about 14 or 15.
For your section (Eastern), you were ranked number one. How was it to be on the top of your class?
KY: I wasn't number one for very long, maybe two or three months. After that, I stayed in the top five pretty much throughout my senior year. It felt good to always be pretty steady with my results. I think I was pretty happy with my accomplishments.
What's your favorite part about being a student athlete here at Dartmouth?
KY: Definitely being a part of the team here and knowing that I'm representing such an awesome college.
What has been the best part of the season?
KY: I think just my streak since Princeton. I've been really happy about how I've been playing.
Can you talk a little bit about the difference between the fall and spring seasons?
KY: The fall season is more individualized. Our coach enrolls us in a big tournament but not as a team. There are different flights at different levels and you just play individually. It's a lot like Juniors. In the spring, we all play doubles and singles and the result of everything combined determines the team's win or loss. Then for the winter, it was also primarily more team matches too, but the spring is our real season.
Are you a big fan of watching the professional tournaments?
KY: Definitely. I grew up in New York so I go to the U.S. Open a lot. When they have "Qualies," which is before the tournament actually starts, you can go in for free and see the stars practicing. I normally get tickets for one day of the tournament.
Do you have a favorite player?
KY: I like Maria Sharapova. If not Maria, then Rodger Federer.
