Tasting the Big Apple

Fifteen-year-old Jade Curtis was the only British female to make the main draw of the US Open.

In her latest tennis diary for BBC Sport Academy, Jade says playing at Flushing Meadows was an unforgettable experience.

Jade Curtis British No.1 ranked girl

I'm back over in Boca Raton in Florida after the junior US Open.

Luckily the hurricanes haven't hit here too badly. It's been wet and windy and people further south in Miami had to evacuate their homes because of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

The images on the TV over here have been really bad, it's just been complete devastation for some people.

It's strange how it's been going on for over a month, it's almost like people have had to get used to it.

In depth: Hurricane Katrina

It has been shocking though, I didn't realise how bad the damage would be.

Given the events of the last month the junior US Open seems a long time ago now, but it was an eye-opener for me.

Jade Curtis stats US Open result: 1st Rnd Lost to Erika Sema 6-7(8) 3-6 Current ITF ranking: 78 Current WTA ranking: 1009

Originally I hadn't qualified for the main draw, but because I made the finals in the doubles of a Canadian tournament the week before, I got a special exemption through qualifying.

My first taste of Flushing Meadows didn't last that long - I lost in the first round to a Japanese girl - but it was good fun.

The atmosphere was the biggest difference. American fans are a bit crazy and a lot louder than English fans at Wimbledon.

They really get behind their home-based players and you probably saw that with James Blake. I really wanted him to win against Andre Agassi in the semi-finals.

My match was a close one. I lost a first set tie-break but it was a great feeling just to be part of it all.

Five-star treatment

Contrary to Wimbledon, you get to sit and eat with all the senior players.

And there's a huge lounge with video arcades and all sorts of stuff - they really look after you.

It's good when Maria Sharapova and Andre Agassi are in the same room. It makes you feel like you are closer to your goal of making it.

US Open 2005

But I don't get wide-eyed when I see players like that, I just try and play it cool.

The other difference is that rather than the university digs you get at Wimbledon, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt hotel just off Fifth Avenue.

If you make the main draw they pay for all that. In fact Wimbledon is the only junior Grand Slam where you don't get a nice hotel!

We got a day to see New York and it was amazing just how busy and vibrant the city was.

James Blake's fans in the "J" Block were in good voice

I went to see the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. It was really cool, it felt like I was in a film.

Despite the glitz of NYC, actually playing at Flushing Meadows was the highlight.

Just having a taste of that environment has given me an appetite for more.

Another step on the ladder

I recently gained my first WTA ranking after playing a couple of $10,000 tournaments in the UK before I went to America.

I might be ranked over the 1000 mark but the ranking will help me get into more WTA tournaments in the future. Really it's the first step on the senior ladder.

In the meantime my junior ranking is 78 and I need to get to the top 64 to make the main draw in the Grand Slams next year.

There's a Grade A tournament coming up in Japan which is the equivalent of a Grand Slam so if I do well hopefully I can get into that grouping.

I'll let you know how I get on in a couple of weeks in my last diary of the season.

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Jade will be writing regular diary entries as the season progresses.