At the US Open two years ago, Christina McHale was the youngest player in the top 100 at No. 55. She defeated Marion Bartoli en route to a third-round showing, her best finish at a grand slam. That year, however, McHale's breakout performance was overshadowed by the career-defining run of another teenaged American in Melanie Oudin.

At the US Open last year, McHale was the No. 2 American behind Serena Williams but fell to Kiki Bertens in the first round. She then watched from home as Sloane Stephens began her assault on American tennis with a third-round breakthrough.

McHale is a counterpuncher who relies on foot speed and creating angles with her forehand, and her game leans little on the imagination. Nonetheless, her admirable work ethic propelled her to a career-high ranking of No. 24 in August of last year. McHale, who made the third round at four consecutive majors from the 2011 US Open through Wimbledon in 2012, seemed to be the one who would be leading the slow but steady charge of young American women on the WTA Tour.

How times have changed.

The New Jersey native does not possess the on-court weaponry or off-court personality of her contemporaries, including Stephens and Madison Keys. Despite spending nearly 12 months as a top-30 player, McHale was never lauded as a potential “star” in American women's tennis in the vein that Stephens and Keys have been. Two years removed from her major breakthrough, McHale is perhaps further under the radar than she was before.

Shortly after reaching her career-high ranking last season, McHale fell ill following the London Olympics. What she originally believed to be food poisoning was later diagnosed as mononucleosis, and McHale became the latest of many tennis players to be stricken by the illness. Despite proclaiming herself as healthy, McHale's form greatly suffered. She lost eight consecutive matches until the Open GDF Suez in February of this year.

The US Open Series saw McHale's struggles continue, as she went 0-4 with first round losses at Stanford and Washington, and losses in the first qualifying round in Toronto and Cincinnati. As a result, McHale came into this year's US Open ranked No. 114. She was no longer the second-best American, no longer the one to watch. Instead, she came into the final major of the year as the No. 12 American. The performances of Stephens, Keys and Jamie Hampton were talked about, and Victoria Duval became the story of the tournament after her first-round upset of Samantha Stosur.

Perhaps McHale likes it that way. Drawn against another slumping player in Julia Goerges in the opening round, McHale dispatched the German in straight sets in front of a packed house on Grandstand. Two days later, McHale took to the same court and squeaked by Elina Svitolina in a tight, three-set affair to make the third round in Flushing Meadows for the second time.

Now fully healthy, McHale possesses the kind of game that forces her opponent to hit her off the court. She will face Ana Ivanovic, who has the ability to do so, in the third round for the right to reach the second week at a major for the first time.

McHale admitted that the moment got to her when she fell to Maria Kirilenko in the third round at the US Open two years ago. The difference for her now, however, is that the pressure is off.

McHale is no longer the only young player flying the stars and stripes. And for a player like this New Jersey native, who was thought to have plateaued, a little confidence can go a long way.