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% / ‘"‘The first time I played in a tourâ€" nament, I think I was eight," said Carol, figuratively staring back in time. ‘"Dad got me started at about sixâ€"andâ€"aâ€"half, playing over the net stuff, and my first tournament I won the underâ€"12 (Waterioo Teanis) club championship. "‘There was only about six or eight girls in the whole Junior Orange Bow! International Invitational 1981 1981 Immigrating to Montreal a dozen years ago from his native Czechoslovaâ€" kia Karel Culik and wife Jana quickly established roots here in Waterloo, where save for a brief period in Brazil, his family has resided ever since. A teacher of computer science in the Math facuity at University of Waterlioo, Kare! modestly prides himself as ‘"a good recreational (tennis) player.‘" He has passed on his love and talents of the game by introducing both Carol and sister Susan to tennis at an early age. Susan, now eight, promises to be no less a tiger than her older sister. Ontario Closed, Canadian Open Finalist: The story, and success of 12â€"yearâ€"old Carol Culik is not one based on dramatic anecdotes, incredible circumstances or amazing fortune. Neither is the fact that Carol battles all year long toeâ€"toâ€"toe with girls two years her senior to say nothing of up to a dozen inches taller simply fortuitous by naâ€" CHYM . Cambridge Oper _sg,uotd(z:n Brantford Open "Oh Daaad, you don‘t have to mention stuff like that,"" groans Carol. ‘‘"And, um," stumbles the slightly nervous 6â€"footâ€"4 sports writer as he nestles into a chair at 242 Parklawn PI., directly across from the eminentlyâ€" poised and pixieâ€"ish 4â€"footâ€"10 tennis player, ‘"how old are you now?" Hardâ€"hitting journalism at its best. *‘Twelve," comes the reply. **And that‘s uh, as of when?" struggles the interviewer, moving in for the kill. *"*Last December," she says and, as if anticipating the next in what would turn out to be an endless queue of brilliant queries, adds "the seventh." Pity the poor sports editor. When you visualize a budding Martina Navriâ€" talova, or at least Tracey Austin, then end up being greeted by a delightful, selfâ€"efficating charmer whose appearâ€" ance would better place her as gang leader of a weekend pajama party rather than near the top of the national tennis ladder among her peers, well, one tends to get thrown off one‘s game. *‘She also finished top student in her class at school," joins in Karel Culik, father of Carol, and a tremendous influence in the meteoric rise of his tennisâ€"playing daughter. ~ And why not? The sports editor, for the first time this day, is not surprised. Ontario Closed (singles and doubles), Quebec Open (singles), Canadian Open (singles) Polar Cup (Toronto) (doubles), Ontario Open (douâ€" bies), Quebec Open (doubles) Canadian Open (douâ€" PAGE 22 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE , WEDNESDAY , SEPTEMBER 2, 1981 CAROL CULIK Waterioo, Ontario Ageâ€"Group Tennis Accomplishments Afirst taste of Net star Carol as Culik as a cucumber Waterioo‘s 12â€"yearâ€"old tennis sensation Carol Culik proudly poses with her father Kare!, the man responsible for introducing her to the game. RICK ‘"Oh Daaad, let‘s not go overboard, eh? says the daughter. And for the second time during the afternoon, the sports editor says to himself, ‘"and why not?" What father wouldn‘t? t M sports editor is led to the family room by Kare!l Culik, who proudly points out his daughter‘s sizeable collection of troâ€" phies, medals and plaques doubleâ€"deckâ€" ing the fireplace mantle. One or two will be needed, says the guest, for a photo session. **You should have this one, it‘s one of the nicest," says Karel. "And the plaque from the Canadians, that one too, and maybe also..." And on court, is the composure the same as in the living room? "I usually get nervous before a match, but once I get on the court it drops off. I don‘t like to play in front of a lot of people, but then I don‘t really pay much attention to them once I start playing." A member at both Northfield and Waterloo Tennis, Carol has reaped the benefit of summer group classes at WTC, and presently is under the tutelage of Northfield pro Ed Andrulis. In addition to other fitness training, she plays practically every day, all year long, in her attempt to reach her goal of innocence, "doing the best I can for as long as I can." "It‘s a lot more aggressive," said Carol, describing the 14â€"andâ€"under comâ€" petition she moved to this year after her success in the underâ€"12 division last year. "I usually try to play a steady game, wait for my chances, I‘m a baseline player." *‘Baseline yes, but she plays aggresâ€" sive, hard from the baseline," adds Karel, coloring the interviewer‘s perâ€" spective. *‘Yes, it makes you feel the pressure," she agreed. ‘"When you‘re No. 1 you are expected to win. And most people you play say to themselves ‘I‘ve got nothing to lose‘ and usually play better because of it." Not surprisingly, Carol relies often on shrewdness and patience against her older and sometimes bigger opponents. At this stage, she has to, considering that since she was born in December, she is almost a full twgâ€"years younger than many of those on the other side of the Heading into grade eight at Macâ€" Gregor school, where math (what else) is her favorite subject, Carol neither seeks nor is afforded school chum idolatry. In spite of zipping around the continent earning recognition, she is either too young, or more likely mature beyond her years in maintaining a downâ€"toâ€"earth profile. The ascent continued last year, culâ€" minating of course in her victory at the nationals in underâ€"12 competiton and the resulting ranking of her as No. 1â€"ranked player in her class in Ontario. provincial competition, losing out in the CHYM local event and Stratford Open. She apparently put the experience to good use, howevxer, the following year, sweeping undefeated through every Open competition she entered, and at the same time earning No. 3â€"ranking provinâ€" cially. The interview near conclusion, the