America believes in Melanie Oudin as she shows her rivals a clean pair of heels

Chris Jones
8 Sep 2009

When Melanie Oudin was handed a pair of tennis shoes with the slogan “believe” embedded in the heels it was merely a gimmick to gain publicity at the US Open in New York this year.

However, it has now become an inspired move with the latest American tennis sensation charging into the quarter-finals, leaving a trail of big-name Russian stars in her wake and now it's Denmark's ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki in the
17-year-old's firing line.

Wozniacki needed a third match point before defeating former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova
2-6, 7-6, 7-6 and become the highest seed left in her half of the draw — and there are no Russians in the last eight of a slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2002.

Wozniacki, who has won more matches than any other player on tour this year, knows she will have little support from the American crowd in her first quarter-final and said: “Melanie has had an unbelievable run but I am looking forward to the challenge. I hope some people will shout for me.” Oudin, the world No70, is from Marietta, Georgia, which is just outside Atlanta and is celebrating 175 years on the map by
“re-premiering” the film Gone with the Wind in November by getting the surviving cast members to walk down the red carpet again — there were 50 speaking parts and 2,400 extras in the 1939 epic.

If Oudin continues her run at the US Open, she will be the biggest star that night because this country adores an all-American who beats the rest of the world on home soil.

Oudin is handling her sudden fame with class and amazing poise for a teenager and after beating 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6, 6-3, she said: “This is my dream forever and I have worked so hard for this and it's finally happening.

“I am in my first quarter-final of a grand slam and it is amazing. Going into the tournament, I did believe that I could compete with these girls but it was just figuring out a way to win in these tough matches and these pressure situations.

“So now, even if I get a set down, I still believe in myself and my game. I know that if I fight as hard as I can, do the best I can, hopefully I can do it. I know that I can compete with the best in the world now and I will know that forever.

“There are no tears because I believed that I could do it and now I know that I belong here.
“This is what I want to do and I can compete with these girls no matter who I'm playing. I have a chance against anyone. I am not giving up at all and they know they're going to have to beat me, because I'm not going to go anywhere.”

There was also joy for Yanina Wickmayer, of Belgium, who now faces fellow unseeded player, Russia's Kateryna Bondarenko in the last eight after beating Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Kvitova had caused a shock when knocking out world No1 Dinara Safina in the previous round.
Britain's Stephanie Cornish bowed out of the US Open girls' singles in the first round in New York.

The 17-year-old failed to join compatriots Laura Robson and Heather Watson in round two as
she went down 6-4, 7-6 to Russian Yana Buchina.