Biggest Surprise
This year, Melanie Oudin won two challengers tournaments, reached the Wimbledon Round of 16 for the first time as a qualifier and cracked a top 50 ranking on the WTA Tour. But it was her impressive showing at the US Open that captured the hearts of tennis fans around the world. She was the silent force of the tournament, defeating three seeded Russians on her way to the quarterfinals: the No. 4-seeded Elena Dementieva, the No. 29-seeded Maria Sharapova and the No. 13-seeded Nadia Petrova. The spirited teen from Georgia demonstrated composure and gritty determination on the world’s biggest stage and became the youngest American tennis player to play in the quarterfinals since Serena Williams in 1999. However, Melanie’s dream run came to a halt in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist, Caroline Wozniacki.
“I did not expect to get to the quarterfinals coming into the tournament. It's a huge accomplishment for me, and to do it at the US Open really means a lot… I've gained a lot of confidence through this tournament, and I think I can only get better,” Oudin said.
Kim Clijsters praised Oudin for her accomplishments and is looking forward to seeing how the young star will handle the new pressure. “I think she's a smart girl. She's a sweet girl. I think she's going to do just fine. Obviously now with a few of the girls that have done well here in the Grand Slam, the expectations are starting to come up, and that's going to be interesting now to see how they're going to cope with that in the next few tournaments.”
Standing just 5 feet 6 inches, Melanie says her idol is Justine Henin because Henin achieved greatness despite her small stature. Melanie admits to needing improvements to her game and says her 2009 results have inspired her to work harder.
