Melanie Oudin

Melanie Oudin

Melanie Oudin at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the first round of the US Open 2010
Country	United States
Residence	Marietta, Georgia, United States
Born	(1991-09-23) September 23, 1991 (age 20) Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight	130 lb (59 kg)
Turned pro	2008
Plays	Right-handed (Two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	US$988,744
Singles
Career record	135–111
Career titles	0 WTA, 4 ITF titles
Highest ranking	No. 31 (April 19, 2010)
Current ranking	No. 266 (May 21, 2012)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	1R (2009, 2010, 2011)
French Open	1R (2010, 2011)
Wimbledon	4R (2009)
US Open	QF (2009)
Doubles
Career record	41–54
Highest ranking	No. 125 (May 23, 2011)
Current ranking	No. 156 (May 21, 2012)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2010)
French Open	2R (2010)
Wimbledon	1R (2010)
US Open	2R (2010)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open	Won (2011)
Last updated on: April 9, 2012.

Melanie Oudin (born September 23, 1991 in Marietta, Georgia, United States) is an American tennis player and former world junior no. 2. Her current career ranking is world no. 266, as of May 21, 2012. She won the mixed doubles title at the US Open in 2011 with fellow American Jack Sock.

Personal life

Oudin is of French descent and has a twin sister, Katherine, and a younger sister, Christina.^[5] She was home schooled from seventh grade on so that she could have more time for tennis practice, but admits envying her twin sister's experiences at a regular school.^[6] She says her idol is Justine Henin because "she proved you don't have to be tall to win things."^[7] Her grandmother inspired her and her sister to play tennis when she gave them racquets and lessons when they were young.^[8]

Playing style

Oudin is a defensive counterpuncher. She uses her speed and footwork to get balls back from the other side of the court. Her best shot is her forehand which she can really hit with power. Her slice backhand is basically defensive but accurate. Good dropshots and clean volleys are useful assets in her game, as well.

Tennis career

2008–2009

Oudin turned professional in February 2008.^[9] In April 2008, she received a wildcard at the WTA tournament in Miami where she lost in the first round to Tathiana Garbin in three sets.^[10] In August, Oudin received a wildcard into her first Grand Slam main draw at the US Open.She was defeated by Australian Jessica Moore 6–7, 6–7.

In October that year, Oudin participated in the 2008 Bell Challenge in Quebec City. In the first round, she defeated third seed Sybille Bammer, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5. In the second round, she defeated Russian Olga Puchkova, 6–1, 7–6. Reaching her first WTA quarterfinals, she was defeated by sixth seed Bethanie Mattek, 6–7, 1–6.

Oudin began 2009 by qualifying for the main draw of the Australian Open. She was then defeated in the first round by Akgul Amanmuradova, 1–6, 4–6.

At the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, Oudin entered as a qualifier. Oudin defeated no. 29 Sybille Bammer in three sets in the first round and Yaroslava Shvedova in three sets in the second. In the third round, Oudin defeated world no. 6 Jelena Janković, 6–7, 7–5, 6–2. She lost to Agnieszka Radwańska in the fourth round, 4–6, 5–7.

At the 2009 US Open, Oudin entered as a wildcard. In her first-round match, she easily defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6–1, 6–2. In the second round, she stunned fourth-seededElena Dementieva, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3, in her Arthur Ashe Stadium debut. Then in the third round, she upset in a shocking match Maria Sharapova, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5. At 17 years of age, Oudin reached the fourth round of a major event for the second consecutive time. In the fourth round, she played another Russian, 11th-seeded Nadia Petrova. She defeated Petrova, 1–6, 7–6, 6–3, to reach the quarterfinals of the event. She is the youngest woman since Serena Williams in 1999 to reach a quarterfinal spot at a major event. Her Cinderella story ended when ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki defeated her, 2–6, 2–6. A standing ovation occurred when Oudin was leaving the court. After the US Open, Oudin's ranking rose into the top 50. This was Oudin's first top-50 appearance on the tour.

2010

At the 2010 Australian Open, Oudin was defeated, 6–2, 5–7, 5–7, by Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round.

After rallying from a set and 1–3 down, Oudin defeated Ágnes Szávay to reach her first semifinal of a WTA tour event at the 2010 Open GDF Suez in Paris. She then fell in three sets to world no. 7 Elena Dementieva, in a rematch of the US Open second round. At the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Oudin was the second seed. She lost in the quarterfinals to Sofia Arvidsson. At the 2010 French Open, Oudin made an early exit by losing 2–6, 5–7 to Anabel Medina Garrigues in the first round. At Wimbledon, Oudin reached the second round, before losing to Jarmila Groth. Oudin reached the second round at the US Open, before losing to Alona Bondarenko, 2–6, 5–7.

2011

In January, she obtained an invitation to play the Hong Kong Tennis Classic with compatriots Venus Williams and John McEnroe. In the first round of the Australian Open, she lost to Czech Klára Zakopalová in three sets.

Oudin got her first win of the year at the 2011 Open GDF Suez, where she beat Vera Dushevina, 7–5, 5–7, 6–2. In the second round, Oudin lost to Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, 4–6, 6–7. Having semifinal points to defend, Oudin's ranking dropped from no. 61 to no. 72. Oudin's next tournament was the Cellular South Cup in Memphis. She won her first-round match against Anastasia Pivovarova of Russia, 6–4, 6–0. In the second round, she faced Russian Evgeniya Rodina, only to lose 6–1, 7–5. Oudin was unable to defend her quarterfinal points and therefore saw her ranking fall from no. 72 to no. 81.

In the US Open paired with Jack Sock, Melanie captured the mixed doubles title, defeating the eighth-seeded Argentine pairing of Gisela Dulko and Eduardo Schwank, 7–6 (4), 4–6, 10–8.

2012

In April, Melanie won the ITF 50k Boyd Tinsley Women's Clay Court Classic.^[11] Melanie was also awarded the USTA French Open Wild Card, with her performances in the USTA Pro Circuit.^[12]

Fed Cup

Oudin played singles in the United States' Fed Cup tie against Argentina in February 2009, losing her first match against Gisela Dulko, but winning the second match against Betina Jozami in three sets.^[13]

In November 2009, Oudin lost both of her matches (against Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone) in the championship round of the 2009 Fed Cup.^[14]

In the 2010 Fed Cup, Oudin led the USA to a 4–1 victory over France by defeating Pauline Parmentier and Julie Coin. Against Russia, Oudin then defeated Alla Kudryavtseva in her first singles match, while losing to Elena Dementieva in her second match. Her team still advanced to the final in San Diego. Contrary to expectations, lower ranked Coco Vandeweghe was chosen over Oudin for the first singles match against Francesca Schiavone. After the US team lost both matches on the first day, Oudin replaced Bethanie Mattek-Sands for the third singles match against Schiavone and won, 6–3, 6–1. This kept her team in contention, but proved futile since Vandeweghe lost the next match against Flavia Pennetta. In the 2011 Fed Cup World Group tie against Belgium, Oudin lost both her singles matches against Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer. In April, she also lost her two matches in the 2011 Fed Cup World Group Play-offs, where the US dropped out of the World Group for the first time since its formation in 1995.

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Mixed Doubles: 1 (1–0)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	2011	US Open	Hard	Jack Sock	Gisela Dulko Eduardo Schwank	7–6(7–4), 4–6, [10–8]

Career titles

Singles (4)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
1.	July 21, 2008	ITF / Lexington, Kentucky	Hard	Carly Gullickson	6–4, 6–2
2.	May 10, 2009	ITF / Indian Harbour Beach, Florida	Clay	Laura Siegemund	7–5, 5–7, 6–2
3.	May 17, 2009	ITF 50k / Raleigh, North Carolina	Clay	Lindsay Lee-Waters	6–1, 2–6, 6–4
4.	April 29, 2012	ITF 50k / Charlottesville, Virginia	Clay	Irina Falconi	7–6(0), 3–6, 6–1

Grand Slam women's singles performance timeline

Key

Won tournament, or reached Final, Semifinal, Quarterfinal, Round 4, 3, 2, 1, played in Round Robin or lost in Qualification Round 3, Round 2, Round 1, Absent from a tournament or Participated in a team event, played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off, won a bronze or silver match at the Olympics. The last is for a Masters Series/1000 tournament that was relegated (Not a Masters Series).

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Melanie Oudin

• Official website
• Melanie Oudin at the Women's Tennis Association
• Melanie Oudin at the International Tennis Federation

Awards
Preceded by Caroline Wozniacki	WTA Newcomer of the Year    2009	Succeeded by Petra Kvitová

v t e Women's Tennis Association: Top ten American female singles tennis players, as of May 14, 2012. 1. Serena Williams (6 3) · 2. Christina McHale (36 ) · 3. Vania King (58 1) · 4. Varvara Lepchenko (59 18) · 5. Venus Williams (63 9) 6. Jamie Hampton (87 2) · 7. Sloane Stephens (92 10) · 8. Irina Falconi (101 1) · 9. Jill Craybas (133 3) · 10. Alison Riske (136 1)