Melanie Oudin Rocks the 2009 US Open!
If you're Svetlana Kuznetsova, you might think twice about wanting to face a certain 17 year old from Marietta Georgia named, Melanie Oudin in this week's US Open quarterfinals. After all, at this year's US Open, Melanie has been knocking down veteran Russian players like so many bowling pins.
First there was Elena Dementieva, then shockingly Maria Sharapova, and now Nadia Petrova.
By all rights, Oudin should have lost her match today against Nadia Petrova. But despite Petrova's position as the No. 13 seed, everyone in tennis knows she can crack like an egg when pressured and that's exactly what happened.
Oudin lulled Petrova into a false sense of security by losing all her serves in the first set and then losing the set 1-6. But then in the second set, Melanie pulled it together and the pressure was on. With a crowd full of screaming New Yorkers solidly behind her, Oudin hung tough against some excellent serving by Petrova and came back from a break down to win the second set in a blowout of a tie breaker.
To her credit, Petrova did try to change things up in the third set by coming in to the net but Oudin hit winner after winner and defended like nobody's business.
Petrova was ready to be scrambled. Oudin won the match 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3.
Melanie's twin sister, who'd flown into town last night for the match sobbed in the stands while Oudin reveled in the roaring crowd.
So right now Svetlana Kuznetsova is playing Caroline Wozniacki in Arthur Ashe stadium. She's just won the first set 6-2 but it's tied up 2-2 in the second and the former US Open champ is starting to look shaky.
Maybe she's thinking about taking my advice and letting Wozniacki take a crack at Oudin.
Oh, and in other action, Serena Williams is still in it and looking like winning the whole thing, Dinara Safina finally got her unconscious wish and lost, Rafael Nadal's knees look solid and sturdy, Roger Federer looks like Mirka's doing all the night feedings and Kim looks like her hubby did all of theirs.
Go Melanie!
