From early February to mid-March, 2012, “Lin-sanity” took the Big Apple by storm.

New York Knicks’ point guard Jeremy Lin came out of virtually nowhere to excel on the biggest stage in sports – Madison Square Garden.

Though Lin is now playing for the Houston Rockets, “Lin-sanity” is by far a thing of the past in New York City. At The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA), Jamaica Estates, a new brand of “Lin-sanity” has emerged.

TMLA sophomore varsity tennis sensation Yuka Lin has experienced as much early success in her career as Jeremy did with the Knicks. The Kew Gardens native is ranked No. 36 among 16-year-olds in the region spanning from upstate New York to Maryland.

Last fall, Yuka finished her freshman season undefeated and is already off to a fast start this fall. She is the Hilltoppers’ first singles player, and she has set the tone for the rest of the team to follow.

Yuka – whose dad’s side of the family hails from Taiwan and mom’s side from Japan – began playing tennis at age five, when the tennis racquet was probably bigger than she was. She also was a swimmer and soccer player while in elementary school at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Forest Hills, but she has always had a passion for tennis.

When Yuka tried out for TMLA’s tennis team, head coach Kelly Kelley recalls her holding her own through the first few workouts. However, Kelley was in store for quite a surprise.

“It wasn’t until her (Yuka) first match that I saw how good she was,” Kelley said. “Within 10 minutes, she broke the string on her opponent’s racquet. It wasn’t until I saw her in competition mode that I realized we had something special.”

Yuka admitted that she was a little nervous in her first official match for TMLA, but she relied on the support of her teammates to help her achieve success. Tennis can be viewed as an individual sport when a competitor is alone on the court, but the team mentality can surely help a player’s confidence.

Yuka has all the physical tools necessary for tennis, including a vicious forehand, a very strong backhand, a powerful serve and excellent footwork. But her mental approach separates her from the pack.

“I think the best part of my game is that I don’t really show my emotions,” she said. “That’s usually how I get through many of my games actually.”

“She’s (Yuka) just so relaxed,” Kelley said. “I’ve seen a lot of female tennis players, and a lot of them can be very uptight and very serious and very hard on themselves. She’s just unflappable. She doesn’t let anything get to her. Her head stays in the game.”

Yuka learned this style of play from watching now-retired Belgian professional tennis player Kim Clijsters. Clijsters remained calm in the face of adversity, which ultimately led to four Grand Slam singles titles: three at the U.S. Open (2005, 2009, 2010) and one at the Australian Open (2011).

Coach Kelley said that she expected last season to be a rebuilding year after losing six seniors to graduation, but Yuka served as the team’s anchor, giving the team more balance and depth.

The Hilltoppers finished the regular season undefeated before defeating St. Saviour H.S., Park Slope, in the GCHSAA Brooklyn-Queens championship. TMLA then won the city championship with a win over St. Joseph’s by the Sea, Staten Island.

In the state finals, Yuka won her singles match, but the Hilltoppers fell to perennial tennis powerhouse St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, which captured its 15th straight state tennis title.

With a mix of strong talent coming back and a few new faces, the Hilltoppers have high expectations heading into this season, though they’re just focusing on one match at a time.

“The freshmen that came in this year are really, really good,” Yuka said. “So I think we can beat (St. Francis) Prep this year.”

In addition to her time at TMLA, Yuka plays in junior tournaments all over the East Coast throughout the year. She trains at GO! Tennis in Bayside and said this program has helped her prepare for the sectional and even national stage.

With all of Yuka’s physical and mental tennis talents, it’s easy for a player of her caliber to already be thinking about entering a U.S. Open or playing on the historic courts at Wimbledon in London. But as she continues her sophomore campaign, Yuka just wants to play well for TMLA.

“Even if I lose but I play well, I’m actually really good with that,” she said. “I know that some of the girls have been training hard, so you never know what’s going to happen.”

As for the “Lin-sanity” comparison, the only real similarity is the last name.

“He’s (Lin) a great basketball player,” Yuka said. “But honestly, basketball is my worst sport. That’s the irony of it.”