Sports

US Open Day 4: Teenager Melanie Oudin Edges Elena Dementieva

by Yuliya Talmazan | September 3, 2009 at 03:41 pm

136 views | 12 Recommendations | 1 comment

It is not often we get to see teenagers upset major tennis headliners on the courts of the US Open. Usually when that happens, everyone knows the next tennis star is up and coming. At least that is what American Melanie Oudin hopes will happen. Today, seventeen-year-old Oudin beat twenty-seven-year-old Elena Dementieva of Russia, former Olympic champion who is currently ranked World No. 4.

The upset came unexpected for Dementieva who so far has had a great season. She made it to the semi-finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, won the Fed Cup and Rogers Cup. Her only disappointment was the French Open where she lost in second round where she lost to Virginie Razzano of France. Unlike Oudin, Razzano is 26 years old and is No. 17 in standings. Oudin was ranked No. 67 heading into the US Open. Oudin beat Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Oudin was also playing with an injury that even caused her to seek medical attention in the third set.

“When I play with no fear, that’s when I play my best,” Oudin said. “I don’t worry about anything. I just play my game, and it usually works.”

“I feel she had a very good attitude today in the court,” Dementieva said graciously after the match. “She was really using all the positive emotions from the crowd. She was really into the game and, you know, really playing at her best today.”

Oudin now has a history of toppling tennis veterans. At this year's Wimbledon tournament, she crushed Serbian Jelena Jankovic (No.5 seeded at the time).

In other tennis news, other players going home along with Dementieva are Maximo Gonzalez and Jelena Jankovic. Advancing are Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling and Nadia Petrova.

Still to happen today are the exciting matches between Christina McHale and Maria Sharapova; Marc Gicquel and Andy Roddick.