Watch Lee play, and that will tell you all you need to know about his ability.

Lee, of Newington, Ga., made quite a statement in his Georgia Games Championships debut Thursday at Newman Tennis Center, beating Augustan Justin Williams (6-1, 6-0) to advance to today's round.

And here's a warning to Lee's competitors: At 18, he's not even at the top of his game yet.

"This is the first tournament I've played this summer," said Lee, who attended Screven County High School. "It's been awhile since I've played, and I was a little bit rusty out there."

Lee, whose older brother turned him on to tennis about 10 years ago, has taken a particular liking to Augusta in the past year. He says the facilities around his hometown are not adequate - nor is the competition.

"They don't have anything like this where I'm from," he said. "There's not any competition down there. I have to come up here for it."

Lee entered the Georgia Games as the No. 2 seed in boys singles, and his most formidable foe - top-seeded Ben Rehfuss of Roswell, Ga. - withdrew from competition Thursday.

Lee made quite a name for himself at Screven County. He was the Gamecocks' No. 1 singles player during his last three years and part his freshman year. He was 21-1 as a senior, and he helped the team win three-straight Region 2-AAA titles.

Lee earned a full scholarship to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga.. He will be the first American in five years to play for Abraham Baldwin, a junior-college power. Most of his teammates will be from South America.

"I think I'll enjoy it," said Lee, who plays again at 4 p.m. today. "That's the only place I looked at. I'm going to go there for two years, and then I can go just about anywhere I want to after that. I'd like to go to Georgia, but I might end up at Georgia Southern."

Lee said he doesn't play in enough tournaments to earn a national ranking, but that does not bother him.

"I'm not in it for the rankings," he said. "I just want to play."

Reach Larry Williams at (706) 823-3645.