“This is the year I need to make my move. I know that. This is the year I need to do something, make a name for myself.”
So said 17 year old Melanie Oudin at the beginning of the year, when her biggest win was a clutch, 3-set victory over Argentine Betina Jozami to keep the US alive in the first round of Fed Cup. At Wimbledon she’s proven to be a woman of her word: Melanie Oudin is making a name for herself.
Today the #124 ranked Melanie beat #6 seed Jelena Jankovic in the third round of Wimbledon, coming back from a set down: 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. She had to play twice as hard as Jelena just to make it on court this Saturday – coming through three rounds of qualifying and two tough three-setters in the main draw.
“I’ve always been mentally tough on the court, not letting anything bother me on the outside, just focusing and keeping my face on the strings.” Melanie said after today’s win.
Melanie kept her face smashed against the lexilon – forgetting about squandering set points in the first set, pretending she wasn’t facing a top 10 player for the first time in her career, and brushing off the 13 minute medical time out that JJ took for exhaustion and “woman problems” before the second set. (Jankovic gave a sour press conference after the match, saying Melanie didn’t “have any weapons” and “doesn’t do anything” on court.)
Oudin faces a more accomplished version of herself in Agnieszka Radwanska in the Round of 16. Oudin has a chance and the right attitude:
Q. On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 is clear reality and ten is fantasy, dream, what number do we have here?
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, I’m going to answer that after the tournament’s over, because it could get higher as the tournament goes on.
Go Melanie! I’m hoping you hit a 10.
Tags: Jankovic, Melanie Oudin, tennis, Wimbledon, WTA
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I saw Melanie interviewed on NBC. Talk about an unaffected kid. I loved her, especially when she went all star-struck because Venus had talked to her.
I wish her luck, and fun.
Yeah, I thought she seemed well-adjusted, too. She is really enjoying herself – she also seems to really like playing tennis! Which sounds weird, but many young pros treat it like the daily grind.
Wishing her luck and fun, too!
I don’t get it. What was wrong with JJ? And what has been wrong with her game? She has seemed to lose all her self confidence she had last year.
Her press conferences and on-court dramatics reveal a pretty burnt out woman. Remember how a couple years back she lost something like 10 matches in a row and considered dropping out of the game? I feel like she’s reached that point again and is trying to decide if her past success was some crazy fluke or something she can maintain.
There’s just something off about her. . .which is too bad. I really like J.J.’s wild attitude and her game (when it’s on.) She’s a great star, too.
That was one of my favorite matches of the tournament so far. No weapons? Psht. Even Masha manages to be more gracious than that after a defeat! That’s some major PMS talking right there. Maybe that’s what she meant by “woman problems”?
I love how much variety Oudin showed out there. She didn’t just outplay JJ, she out-thought her, too. I’m definitely looking forward to her match v. Radwanska.
Hi Carrie! I agree – that match had me on my feet and cheering! Love it when that happens. . .
Glad to see Oudin’s positive attitude. I can tell she believes in herself and won’t mind what (PMSing) J.J. said.
I have never understood how to pronounce Radwanska’s name…