The 16-year-old from Nashville won the USTA Supernational Girls 18 Claycourt Championships i Memphis as a 14-year-old and reached her the quarterfinals in the Kroger St, Jude, before losing to defending champion Lisa Raymond in three sets.
Gullickson, one of six children, comes from a very sporting backgroud - her father, Bill Gullickson, was a Major League Baseball star for the Detroit Tigers.
Gullickson, who has had letters from UCLA, says she is waiting to see how she competes in the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells and the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami before deciding whether to go to college or pursue a professional career.
Q. What was life as a junior player like? When did you start realizing that you could become a great tennis player and how did you work towards that? - Caitlin Crowley, Burnt Hills NY
CG: When I was 14 I won the Junior Clay Courts [in Memphis two years ago] and you really can't stay too long on National level so I decided to play more ITF circuit tournaments and then I got to the last 16 at Junior Wimbledon last year and that's when I realized that maybe I could pay at this level. Being an amateur is fun because there's really not that much pressure on you to go out there and do well just to make money, so it's pretty good.
Q. Being a junior tennis player myself, do you find it hard to maintain being a teenager and doing everything that teens get to do and play professional tennis at the same time? - Emily
CG: I started home schooling 18 months ago and I really thought it was going to be hard. But I still speak to all my friends, still go to the movies, but I just have to manage my time better. It's definitely different from the life of most teenagers, but if you know how to do it you can still be a normal teenager.
Q. What is your favourite movie?
CG: My favorite move is John Q. I love Denzel Washington, he's my favorite actor.
Q. What would be your recommendations for young players wanting to make a career out of tennis? - Suzanne Hazelwood.
CG: You have to have confidence in yourself. Before this tournament, I was unsure of myself, whether I could play with these girls. But the most important thing is to believe in yourself and try your best.
Q. What you think about Williams sisters power and what you think who can stop them?
CG: When I played with Lisa Raymond today she played so hard and the Williams sisters play so much harder than that. I think you'd have to serve and volley. Their returns are so hard and deep in the air so if you serve and volley they will have less time. I'd definitely like to have a go!
Q. What do you do to stave-off the jitters for or during a big match? - Carrie Montgomery
CG: I still get so nervous before matches. It usually takes me the whole first set to get warmed up. But for the whole of this tournament, I won the first set. What I do on the court is bounce around, not trying to think about winning or losing and take each point as it comes.
Q. How much training does it take to excel in tennis? What types of training methods do you recommend? - Jack Mohr
CG: Off court, I do a lot of sprint work and weights, and a lot of stretching, that's really helped me a lot. You have to stretch. Before the match tonight, with Mardy Fish and Paradorn Srichaphan going on so long, first we thought we were going on, then it went to a third, so you just try to relax in the locker room and keep stretching.
