The card games can get pretty heated. UNO tends to bring that out in people, even world class junior tennis players.

Rositsa Dencheva and her teammates on the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team have been together on the tour of North America for about a month.

But apart from the immense help with funding to come here to New York for the US Open Junior Championships, being on the team has afforded Bulgaria's Dencheva a chance to hang out with other teenagers and get to know them.

And how good are they at cards? Who’s the best player on the team?

“That’s a hard question,” Dencheva said, laughing. “Sometimes I win, sometimes Iliyan [Radulov] wins, but it’s always fun. It’s competitive, but fun.”

For Dencheva, who hails from the town of Previn in northern Bulgaria, getting a chance to be on the development team is something she is "so thankful for".

“Having the coaches here to arrange the travel, the practice time, it just makes it so much easier,” Dencheva said. “And of course, it’s very expensive to travel here to New York, so my parents and I definitely appreciate that part of it.”

There are seven players on the team, with four girls and three boys, along with two coaches and a fitness trainer.

Roberta Burzagli, the team’s head coach, said the team has trained in Montreal and in College Park, Md. before the US Open, and that this group has been terrific to work with.

“These kids have all been very professional, very well-behaved because they’re grateful for the coaching and the travel,” Burzagli said. “We also try to get in touch with their private coaches to help the players more, so we can know them a little better,” Burzagli said.   

“It’s also great for them because they get exposed to other cultures, other countries, with kids their age and they learn a lot,” Burzagli added.

The Bulgarian Dencheva showed Sunday that she plans on taking advantage of being on the team and staying around awhile. She was one of many winners on day one of the final Grand Slam of the year, as the 16-year-old defeated American Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo 6-4 6-1.

But there was a surprise in the girls' draw before play even got started on Sunday; No. 5 seed Mayu Crossley of Japan, a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros last week and winner of the Orange Bowl last December, pulled out of her scheduled match with American Akasha Urhobo.

Lucky loser Olivia Bergler of Poland acquitted herself quite well despite having very little advance notice, falling to Urhobo 6-4 7-6.  Crossley had suffered a wrist injury in practice last week and was hoping it would heal enough for her to play the Open, but unfortunately she had to withdraw.

No. 2 seed Lucciana Perez Alarcon, a Roland Garros finalist who is trying to become the first Peruvian player to win a Junior Slam, opened her quest with a 6-4 6-0 win over American lucky loser Thea Frodin.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning, but when the match continued I tried to keep focusing and it worked out,” said Perez Alarcon, now a freshman at Texas A&M University. “I love playing here in New York but you have to not pay attention to the distractions and focus on tennis.”

Perez Alarcon said the disappointment of getting so close to winning a Slam in Paris went away after a few hours.

“It was quite disappointing at that time, but then I realized what I did for me and for my country, and it became very positive,” who will try to do for Peru what Alexandra Eala did for the Philippines last year here at the Open. “It gave me more motivation to continue working hard.”

More first-round singles action continues Monday, with some second round matches being played as well. The boys and girls doubles competition gets underway Monday, too.