Melanie Oudin's face was flushed from a mix of exertion and excitement and maybe even a bit of bewilderment — "Yes, I DID beat Maria Sharapova!" running through her mind — when she stepped out of the U.S. Open locker room and saw Mom.
Oudin's memorable run
 Photos: Check out the best shots of Melanie Oudin's memorable three-match run at the U.S. Open. |
The pair embraced, kissed each other on the cheek, and Leslie Oudin told her 17-year-old daughter: "I'm very proud of you." Then they hugged some more, holding tight.
Melanie Oudin is still very much a kid from Marietta, Ga., enjoying the trip of her life in the Big Apple, playing foosball in the players' lounge and using words like "amazing" and "cool" as she works her dizzying way through the draw at Flushing Meadows. Oudin's latest win was the biggest so far: She knocked off three-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 Sharapova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 Saturday to reach the U.S. Open's fourth round.
"I just had a blast," said Oudin, who buried her face in a towel and sobbed on the sideline when the match ended.
Several hours later, on the same court, another unheralded American who has lived in Georgia pulled off another upset of a past U.S. Open champion: 55th-ranked John Isner pounded 38 aces and eliminated No. 5 Andy Roddick 7-6 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5) to reach the fourth round at a major tournament for the first time.
"It's obviously, hands down, the biggest win of my career. Nothing even compares. To do it at the stage I did it on is pretty spectacular. Maybe it will sink in a little bit more tomorrow," said Isner, who led the Georgia Bulldogs to the 2007 NCAA team championship. "But I know I can really do some damage here. So I'm not satisfied just yet."
