Melanie Oudin photosWhen 17-year-old American Melanie Oudin concluded the biggest match of her life Saturday at Wimbledon, she had to ask where to find the exit from the court.Mardy Fish of U.S.reacts while playing Novak Djokovic of Serbia in a third round singles match on centre court at Wimbledon, Friday, June26, 2009.(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) (AP) Still finding her way around the All England Club, Oudin has made her way into the fourth round.The qualifier from Marietta, Ga., pulled the biggest upset of the first week Saturday by beating former No.1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2.The No.6-seeded Jankovic struggled with the heat on a sunny, 82-degree afternoon, and took a 12-minute break after the first set.The 2008 U.S.Open runner-up also needed treatment for her left foot later, and was plagued by erratic groundstrokes while Oudin played with poise down the stretch and swept the final three games.Five-time champion Venus Williams joined Oudin in the round of 16 by beating Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-4.Oudin (pronounced Oo-dan') arrived in London with an 0-2 record in Grand Slam matches, and she had to win three qualifying matches to make Wimbledon's main draw for the first time.She's ranked 124th and will crack the top 100 for the first time after the tournament.Playing on cozy Court 3, she wore down Jankovic in an arduous first set.Oudin failed to convert four set points, committing an unforced error each time.But when the 66-minute set ended, it was Jankovic who appeared on the ropes.A trainer and doctor came on court to check Jankovic's pulse and blood pressure.She rested on a towel while being treated, and after several minutes sat up while ice was applied to her neck and midsection.Jankovic played on, but the match turned when Oudin overcame a 5-4 deficit in the second set.She repeatedly won points with drop shots, punctuating winners with shouts of "Come on!" The teenager smacked a forehand winner on the final point, then raised her arms with glee.Williams took charge early against the 34th-ranked Suarez Navarro, winning the first eight games.Bidding for her third consecutive Wimbledon title, the No.3-seeded Williams will next play 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who beat 2009 Roland Garros semifinalist Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-2
Melanie Oudin photo
Playing No. 1 seed Melanie Oudin is hard enough when fit and healthy, as her previous five opponents, who have won a grand total of nine games from her, can attest. Unfortunately, Muhammad, of Henderson, Nevada, was suffering from a stomach virus, and even the extra time gained when wet courts delayed the start couldn't provide relief. Oudin's energetic play didn't flag, although there was a subdued quality surrounding the match due to Muhammad's illness."I tried not to think about that at all," said Oudin, 15, of Marietta, Georgia. "Even if she is sick, she can still play unbelievable tennis, so I left that out of my head and kept focused."Although Oudin tried to ignore Muhammad's condition, she admitted that she was "trying to keep the points long, to keep her out there as long as I could." Playing aggressively yet conservatively, Oudin's strategy worked, earning her a place in the final against No. 4 seed Lauren Embree.Embree, also 15, had a healthy opponent in Alison Riske, the ninth seed, and it showed in the 7-5, 6-3 score. Both girls feature better ground strokes and returns than serves, so there many breaks throughout the match. Embree, of Marco Island, Florida, was serving for the first set at 5-3, but Riske, of McMurray Pennsylvania, survived that game before succumbing to a determined Embree."I tried not getting on the defense too much," said Embree, who was a finalist at the most recent Winter Nationals and won the 16s Hard Courts last summer. "She had really good volleys, and when she was on offense, she was really good, so I tried to take control of the point on the first ball."Embree and Oudin haven't met recently, but both are aware of the challenges they face in the final."She's gotten a lot better, improved a lot," said Embree of Oudin. "Hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of balls back and take control of the point.""Lauren can keep so many balls in play," Oudin said. "She moves extremely well, so I'm going to have to be aggressive, come in and make my volleys--make all my shots, because she gets everything back."Embree's counterpart on the boys' side is No. 6 seed Brennan Boyajian, also from Florida, and also the reigning 16s Hard Court champion. In his 6-4, 7-6 (0) victory over 17 seed Wil Spencer, Boyajian was able to neutralize the pace of the Spencer forehand, and go from offense to defense when he needed to.With Spencer serving at 4-4 40-15 in the second set, Boyajian bore down, winning four straight points, the final on a forehand winner.
Melanie Oudin
US teen giant-killer Melanie Oudin continued her astonishing US Open run on Monday, the 70th-ranked blonde pixie ousting 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
The tenacious pint-sized American dynamo, who turns 18 on Septmeber 23, has become the darling of the Flushing Meadows fortnight.
Oudin, a comeback queen, improving to 9-2 this year when losing the first set, and 17-4 in all three-setters, with her third comeback victory in a row to eliminate a fourth consecutive Russian rival.
"I didn't think I started off too well and Nadia served unbelievable, but I stayed in there with her in the second set and she gave me a few free points and I got my confidence and I believed I could do it and I did it," Oudin said.
The magic act by "Oudini" has made her the youngest American in the US Open's last 16 since Serena Williams a decade ago, showing her Wimbledon ouster of former number one Jelena Jankovic was no fluke.
"It was tough. She was all over me. I kept fighting and I got that break and I'm so happy that I won," said Oudin, her voice breaking with joy. "I'm so glad to be in my first Grand Slam quarter-final ever."
Oudin will play for a semi-final spot against the winner of a night match between Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki and Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Reigning French Open champion Kuznetsova is the only player to beat second seed Serena Williams at a Grand Slam event this year, ousting the Australian Open and Wimbledon winner in the quarter-finals.
While Oudin cannot speak French despite her Gallic surname, she has shown a mastery of Russian, rallying from first-set losses to dump fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova on the scrap heap.
Oudin seized a 5-0 lead in the tie-break and traded points from there to claim the second set when Petrova sent a forehand wide.
Petrova rescued six match points in the opening game of the last set but was broken on Oudin's seventh chance by a lob dropped just on the backline.
Petrova broke back to 2-2 but surrendered a break in the next game with a double fault to put the home-crowd heroine back on top and Oudin held at love for a 4-2 edge.
Melanie Oudin tennis photos
Teen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
Melanie Oudin pictures
US teen giant-killer Melanie Oudin continued her astonishing US Open run on Monday, the 70th-ranked blonde pixie ousting 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
The tenacious pint-sized American dynamo, who turns 18 on Septmeber 23, has become the darling of the Flushing Meadows fortnight.
Oudin, a comeback queen, improving to 9-2 this year when losing the first set, and 17-4 in all three-setters, with her third comeback victory in a row to eliminate a fourth consecutive Russian rival.
"I didn't think I started off too well and Nadia served unbelievable, but I stayed in there with her in the second set and she gave me a few free points and I got my confidence and I believed I could do it and I did it," Oudin said.
The magic act by "Oudini" has made her the youngest American in the US Open's last 16 since Serena Williams a decade ago, showing her Wimbledon ouster of former number one Jelena Jankovic was no fluke.
"It was tough. She was all over me. I kept fighting and I got that break and I'm so happy that I won," said Oudin, her voice breaking with joy. "I'm so glad to be in my first Grand Slam quarter-final ever."
Oudin will play for a semi-final spot against the winner of a night match between Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki and Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Reigning French Open champion Kuznetsova is the only player to beat second seed Serena Williams at a Grand Slam event this year, ousting the Australian Open and Wimbledon winner in the quarter-finals.
While Oudin cannot speak French despite her Gallic surname, she has shown a mastery of Russian, rallying from first-set losses to dump fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova on the scrap heap.
Oudin seized a 5-0 lead in the tie-break and traded points from there to claim the second set when Petrova sent a forehand wide.
Petrova rescued six match points in the opening game of the last set but was broken on Oudin's seventh chance by a lob dropped just on the backline.
Petrova broke back to 2-2 but surrendered a break in the next game with a double fault to put the home-crowd heroine back on top and Oudin held at love for a 4-2 edge.
Melanie Oudin photoPlaying No. 1 seed Melanie Oudin is hard enough when fit and healthy, as her previous five opponents, who have won a grand total of nine games from her, can attest. Unfortunately, Muhammad, of Henderson, Nevada, was suffering from a stomach virus, and even the extra time gained when wet courts delayed the start couldn't provide relief. Oudin's energetic play didn't flag, although there was a subdued quality surrounding the match due to Muhammad's illness."I tried not to think about that at all," said Oudin, 15, of Marietta, Georgia. "Even if she is sick, she can still play unbelievable tennis, so I left that out of my head and kept focused."Although Oudin tried to ignore Muhammad's condition, she admitted that she was "trying to keep the points long, to keep her out there as long as I could." Playing aggressively yet conservatively, Oudin's strategy worked, earning her a place in the final against No. 4 seed Lauren Embree.Embree, also 15, had a healthy opponent in Alison Riske, the ninth seed, and it showed in the 7-5, 6-3 score. Both girls feature better ground strokes and returns than serves, so there many breaks throughout the match. Embree, of Marco Island, Florida, was serving for the first set at 5-3, but Riske, of McMurray Pennsylvania, survived that game before succumbing to a determined Embree."I tried not getting on the defense too much," said Embree, who was a finalist at the most recent Winter Nationals and won the 16s Hard Courts last summer. "She had really good volleys, and when she was on offense, she was really good, so I tried to take control of the point on the first ball."Embree and Oudin haven't met recently, but both are aware of the challenges they face in the final."She's gotten a lot better, improved a lot," said Embree of Oudin. "Hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of balls back and take control of the point.""Lauren can keep so many balls in play," Oudin said. "She moves extremely well, so I'm going to have to be aggressive, come in and make my volleys--make all my shots, because she gets everything back."Embree's counterpart on the boys' side is No. 6 seed Brennan Boyajian, also from Florida, and also the reigning 16s Hard Court champion. In his 6-4, 7-6 (0) victory over 17 seed Wil Spencer, Boyajian was able to neutralize the pace of the Spencer forehand, and go from offense to defense when he needed to.With Spencer serving at 4-4 40-15 in the second set, Boyajian bore down, winning four straight points, the final on a forehand winner.
Melanie OudinUS teen giant-killer Melanie Oudin continued her astonishing US Open run on Monday, the 70th-ranked blonde pixie ousting 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
The tenacious pint-sized American dynamo, who turns 18 on Septmeber 23, has become the darling of the Flushing Meadows fortnight.
Oudin, a comeback queen, improving to 9-2 this year when losing the first set, and 17-4 in all three-setters, with her third comeback victory in a row to eliminate a fourth consecutive Russian rival.
"I didn't think I started off too well and Nadia served unbelievable, but I stayed in there with her in the second set and she gave me a few free points and I got my confidence and I believed I could do it and I did it," Oudin said.
The magic act by "Oudini" has made her the youngest American in the US Open's last 16 since Serena Williams a decade ago, showing her Wimbledon ouster of former number one Jelena Jankovic was no fluke.
"It was tough. She was all over me. I kept fighting and I got that break and I'm so happy that I won," said Oudin, her voice breaking with joy. "I'm so glad to be in my first Grand Slam quarter-final ever."
Oudin will play for a semi-final spot against the winner of a night match between Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki and Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Reigning French Open champion Kuznetsova is the only player to beat second seed Serena Williams at a Grand Slam event this year, ousting the Australian Open and Wimbledon winner in the quarter-finals.
While Oudin cannot speak French despite her Gallic surname, she has shown a mastery of Russian, rallying from first-set losses to dump fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova on the scrap heap.
Oudin seized a 5-0 lead in the tie-break and traded points from there to claim the second set when Petrova sent a forehand wide.
Petrova rescued six match points in the opening game of the last set but was broken on Oudin's seventh chance by a lob dropped just on the backline.
Petrova broke back to 2-2 but surrendered a break in the next game with a double fault to put the home-crowd heroine back on top and Oudin held at love for a 4-2 edge.
Melanie Oudin tennis photosTeen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
Melanie Oudin picturesUS teen giant-killer Melanie Oudin continued her astonishing US Open run on Monday, the 70th-ranked blonde pixie ousting 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
The tenacious pint-sized American dynamo, who turns 18 on Septmeber 23, has become the darling of the Flushing Meadows fortnight.
Oudin, a comeback queen, improving to 9-2 this year when losing the first set, and 17-4 in all three-setters, with her third comeback victory in a row to eliminate a fourth consecutive Russian rival.
"I didn't think I started off too well and Nadia served unbelievable, but I stayed in there with her in the second set and she gave me a few free points and I got my confidence and I believed I could do it and I did it," Oudin said.
The magic act by "Oudini" has made her the youngest American in the US Open's last 16 since Serena Williams a decade ago, showing her Wimbledon ouster of former number one Jelena Jankovic was no fluke.
"It was tough. She was all over me. I kept fighting and I got that break and I'm so happy that I won," said Oudin, her voice breaking with joy. "I'm so glad to be in my first Grand Slam quarter-final ever."
Oudin will play for a semi-final spot against the winner of a night match between Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki and Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Reigning French Open champion Kuznetsova is the only player to beat second seed Serena Williams at a Grand Slam event this year, ousting the Australian Open and Wimbledon winner in the quarter-finals.
While Oudin cannot speak French despite her Gallic surname, she has shown a mastery of Russian, rallying from first-set losses to dump fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova on the scrap heap.
Oudin seized a 5-0 lead in the tie-break and traded points from there to claim the second set when Petrova sent a forehand wide.
Petrova rescued six match points in the opening game of the last set but was broken on Oudin's seventh chance by a lob dropped just on the backline.
Petrova broke back to 2-2 but surrendered a break in the next game with a double fault to put the home-crowd heroine back on top and Oudin held at love for a 4-2 edge.
Melanie Oudin pics
US Open 2009: Melanie Oudin braced for celebrity after thrilling run
Melanie Oudin believes her dramatic run in the US Open has prepared her for a long career in professional tennis and is ready to embrace the fame game
Melanie Oudin believes her dramatic run in the US Open has prepared her for a long career in professional tennis and is ready to embrace the fame game
Oudin, 17, has captured the imagination of America after her thrilling run of victories over seeded Russians brought her to the quarter-finals, where she lost 6-2, 6-2 to Dane Caroline Wozniacki.
But the "little Road Runner" is keeping her feet firmly on the ground, and insists that her dramatic rise to fame does not make her celebrity.
But the "little Road Runner" is keeping her feet firmly on the ground, and insists that her dramatic rise to fame does not make her celebrity.
Melanie Oudin images
US Open 2009: Melanie Oudin fairytale over as Caroline Wozniacki advances to semis
Melanie Oudin's captivating run of form at the US Open has reached its end as Caroline Wozniacki became the first Dane to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam with a straight sets vOudin had become the unlikely star of this year's tournament in New York, and after the failings of the American men, the 17-year-old had been carrying the hopes of a nation.
But Wozniacki, a teenager herself at 19, capitalised on some ordinary play from Oudin to rack up a relatively simple 6-2, 6-2 victory.ictory.
Melanie Oudin tennis plaayer
In the weeks leading up to the U.S. Open, the chatter boards were full of talk about what's wrong with women's tennis.
Too much grunting, and too many robotic Russians. A strange absence of compelling matches, particularly in recent Grand Slam events.
At the top of most lists, though, was this: There are no up-and-coming American stars in a sport that used to feature them by the handful.
Scratch that complaint now. The teenager from Georgia with "Believe" written on her pink-and-yellow shoes is making believers out of a lot of people in her coming out party at the U.S. Open.
Melanie Oudin isn't just the biggest thing to hit U.S. tennis since the Williams sisters began winning big a decade ago. She could be the fresh face that helps reinvigorate the sport in this country.
No, she's probably not going to beat Serena Williams in the final, assuming they both get that far. But she is making the women's draw at this Open seem almost as much fun as the days when Chris Evert was smashing two-handed backhand winners down the line.
And, at the tender age of 17, she's not afraid to make a statement that she is here to stay.
"I know that I can compete with the best in the world now," Oudin said, "and I will know that forever."
That's good news for the inevitable day when the Williams sisters decide to finally call it quits, either because of age or disinterest. Before Oudin's remarkable run in Queens, the cupboard for rising young American female tennis players seemed even more bare than that of the men, who are done before the quarterfinals even begin.
Melanie Oudin poster
Melanie Oudin's captivating run of form at the US Open has reached its end as Caroline Wozniacki became the first Dane to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam with a straight sets vOudin had become the unlikely star of this year's tournament in New York, and after the failings of the American men, the 17-year-old had been carrying the hopes of a nation.
But Wozniacki, a teenager herself at 19, capitalised on some ordinary play from Oudin to rack up a relatively simple 6-2, 6-2 victory.ictory.
Melanie Oudin tennis plaayerIn the weeks leading up to the U.S. Open, the chatter boards were full of talk about what's wrong with women's tennis.
Too much grunting, and too many robotic Russians. A strange absence of compelling matches, particularly in recent Grand Slam events.
At the top of most lists, though, was this: There are no up-and-coming American stars in a sport that used to feature them by the handful.
Scratch that complaint now. The teenager from Georgia with "Believe" written on her pink-and-yellow shoes is making believers out of a lot of people in her coming out party at the U.S. Open.
Melanie Oudin isn't just the biggest thing to hit U.S. tennis since the Williams sisters began winning big a decade ago. She could be the fresh face that helps reinvigorate the sport in this country.
No, she's probably not going to beat Serena Williams in the final, assuming they both get that far. But she is making the women's draw at this Open seem almost as much fun as the days when Chris Evert was smashing two-handed backhand winners down the line.
And, at the tender age of 17, she's not afraid to make a statement that she is here to stay.
"I know that I can compete with the best in the world now," Oudin said, "and I will know that forever."
That's good news for the inevitable day when the Williams sisters decide to finally call it quits, either because of age or disinterest. Before Oudin's remarkable run in Queens, the cupboard for rising young American female tennis players seemed even more bare than that of the men, who are done before the quarterfinals even begin.
Melanie Oudin posterTeen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
Melanie Oudin, who beat Elena Dementieva on Thursday, is set to face another Russian star, three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova. Dinara Safina will headline the night session with her match against Petra Kvitova, and given Safina&s other two matches, ... The US Open website is replaying classic matches for those who enjoy taking a stroll down memory lane. One of the ones featured is the 2006 epic meeting between Lindsay Davenport and Katarina Srebotnik. ...
Teen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
let me make a suggestion to Nanette and Annie - Go to the website of whatever nation you are in, and see what you find written about, say, Jesse Levine, or Melanie Oudin. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you go to the top Croatian ...
Teen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
Melanie Oudin, who beat Elena Dementieva on Thursday, is set to face another Russian star, three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova. Dinara Safina will headline the night session with her match against Petra Kvitova, and given Safina&s other two matches, ... The US Open website is replaying classic matches for those who enjoy taking a stroll down memory lane. One of the ones featured is the 2006 epic meeting between Lindsay Davenport and Katarina Srebotnik. ...
Teen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
let me make a suggestion to Nanette and Annie - Go to the website of whatever nation you are in, and see what you find written about, say, Jesse Levine, or Melanie Oudin. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you go to the top Croatian ...
Teen Oudin shocks error-prone Sharapova. 2009 September 5. tags: U.S. Open. by Luis Hipolito. CNN. (CNN) – Maria Sharapova crashed out of the U.S. Open to 17-year-old American sensation Melanie Oudin in a marathon three-setter on ...
