Melanie Oudin wins
again this time it is over Nadia Petrova at the US Open
2009
Interview
with Melanie Oudin after her win over Maria sharapova at the 2009 US Open
Melanie won
in 3 sets 3-6,6-4,7-5
Q. Five weeks ago you were
playing against a kid from Boston College. Now you just
beat a former US Open winner on center court. How do you
make the transition?
MELANIE OUDIN: It's not that hard for me 'cause I
love playing tennis no matter who I'm playing. Getting to
play Maria today was an unbelievable experience for me.
She's such a great competitor, a great player. I just had
a blast playing there today.
Q. What did you learn?
MELANIE OUDIN: I learned, once again, proved to
myself that I can compete with these top girls. And if I
believe in myself and my game, then I can beat them.
Q. When someone double faults or
has as much trouble on her serve as that, is it actually
almost distracting?
MELANIE OUDIN: I knew she was struggling with her serve.
She gave me some double faults, crucial, crucial points.
But, I mean, a lot of things go into it. It was really
tight in the match. I mean, it was like 5 All in the
third. Nerves were kicking in and everything.
No, I thought I stayed focused pretty well. I didn't
think it really affected me with the double faults.
Q. How has your life changed at
all from the time you got to this tournament till now?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't think it's changed at all. The
only thing that's different is more people know who I am.
That's it. Everything else is exactly the same. I'm still
the same person. I want to keep doing the same thing.
Q. Do people recognize you in
places around and about?
MELANIE OUDIN: A little bit. Yesterday they did some.
Probably now they're going to a little bit more
(smiling).
Q. Can you talk about your
competitive spirit?
MELANIE OUDIN: I've always been so competitive,
doesn't matter what I'm doing. Whether I'm playing
tennis, playing cards, playing some kind of like board
game, I always want to win more than anything. I'm not
going to give up, you know, no matter what the score is.
I'm down 6 0, 5 0, you know, I'm not going to give up.
I'm going to keep fighting.
Q. What was your approach
tactically?
MELANIE OUDIN: Going into the match today I knew that
Maria was going to be really powerful and I knew that she
was going to be hitting the corners. I knew she has a
really good serve. So I was going to just try to move as
well as I could and play good defense, try to get her
moving before I was the one moving and try to control the
points.
Q. You seemed to be on the
Russian express train here. Another Russian next up,
Petrova. Thoughts on that match?
MELANIE OUDIN: I haven't really watched Petrova that
much. She plays similar to a lot of the girls I played so
far. I'm going to go into it like any other match and
hopefully play well.
Q. Were you nervous when you had
breakpoints and stuff like that?
MELANIE OUDIN: I was. I think I was really nervous in the
beginning of the match. I started to calm down towards
the second. And on breakpoints, I wanted the point so
badly that sometimes I overplayed.
But I won the crucial ones, which is good.
Q. What has surprised you the
most about what you've done so far?
MELANIE OUDIN: I guess it's kind of surprising, but it's
like I've worked so hard for this. Finally everything is
just coming together. I'm playing how I've been wanting
to play, how I knew I could play. I just haven't been
able to do it continually for an entire match.
These past matches here, I've been able to keep it up the
entire time, not just a couple points here or there, a
set here and there, but like an entire match.
Q. What do you see ahead?
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, if I keep playing like this,
hopefully I can do well.
But I still think I can improve even from today. So
hopefully I can just get better.
Q. Tennis players tell
themselves a lot of things during a match. What did you
tell yourself most often during that match?
MELANIE OUDIN: I was telling myself just to keep it up,
keep making her play as many balls as I possibly could,
you know, because we were out there a really long time. I
knew that I was tight in the beginning, but I started
relaxing. I thought I had the momentum going in the
third. So, yeah, I mean...
Q. At Wimbledon you told us most
of your friends were still in the juniors. You didn't
know too many of the pros. Have you found a niche for
yourself, better situated or comfortable on the tour?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, definitely, definitely. I'm feeling
way more comfortable. I think the whole thing is just
getting the experience in playing in these tournaments,
the Grand Slams, playing well. Getting to play these top
girls, I'm learning a lot.
Q. What has been the key to not
being intimidated by the situation and by the opponent?
MELANIE OUDIN: It's tough. But I try to pretend that
it's not like Arthur Ashe Stadium playing Maria
Sharapova. I try to just pretend it's any other match,
even just practicing. Sometimes I tell myself I'm just
practicing at my academy at home and I'm just playing one
of my friends. So it's not a big deal. So I don't think
about the whole occasion (smiling).
Q. When you had over 20,000 New
Yorkers screaming for you, what thoughts went through
your mind?
MELANIE OUDIN: Every kind of emotion possible. I mean, I
was crying. I was so happy and excited. I think I'm
pretty sure I screamed after I hit that last shot. Just
unbelievable feeling.
Q. Were there any moments during
that match where you say to yourself that you can't
believe it's happening?
MELANIE OUDIN: During the match, not really. After is
when all that hits me. But during the match, I mean, I
knew I was right with her. Again, I just had to believe
that I could beat her. In the third, I was so close. I
was like, All right, one more game, a couple points here
and there, and I would have it.
So the main thing was just believing that I could do it.
Q. You don't remember screaming?
You don't remember your feelings? You did scream.
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, I'm trying to remember them. That
moment, it's so crazy. I don't even know how to explain
it. Just a million things going through your mind. You
know, the crowd was like roaring. Just everything
imaginable.
Q. Your entire family here?
MELANIE OUDIN: No, just my mother.
Q. Are the rest of them maybe
coming?
MELANIE OUDIN: Now that I won today, they could be coming
back. I'm not sure yet, though.
Q. Years from now if you had to
explain to a friend this day, what word would you use?
MELANIE OUDIN: Someone asked me this question at
Wimbledon, how I would describe the whole experience.
There's not really one word. Everything about it is just
unbelievable. But basically I love to play tennis, and
that's why I'm here. I'm loving it.
Q. What do you think you've
shown about the weapons that you have in your game? This
is something at Wimbledon, when you beat Jelena Jankovic,
she said you didn't have weapons. What do you think
you've shown here?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think the biggest weapon can be
mental toughness. It doesn't have to be a stroke or a
shot or anything like that. If you're mentally tough out
there, then you can beat anyone. I think that's what I
really did well today and I've done in my past matches.
I'm so focused and I fight super hard. So it's not going
to be easy to beat me or I'm not going to back down at
all.
Q. Is that something you
learned, or you were born with that?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't think I was born with it. But
I've learned to do that. I mean, that's how I've been for
a long time. You know, all the years of training, my
coach pushing me so hard, just getting through years of
ups and downs and everything. I've learned to fight super
hard.
Q. Do you think you've seen a
lot of other women choking in this Open?
MELANIE OUDIN: Choking?
Q. Yes.
MELANIE OUDIN: No, I don't think so. I don't think
anyone's been choking so far. But I'm hoping I won't be
one to choke (laughter).
Q. Is there a downside to your
being so competitive in life?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't think so. I think being
competitive is really good.
Q. How will you celebrate this?
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, actually I couldn't believe it was
already like 6:30. I was like, Isn't this still the
middle of the day? But apparently it's not. I guess we'll
go eat dinner somewhere and celebrate that way.
Q. You have a French name. Do
you know the history?
MELANIE OUDIN: My greatgrandfather is French, yes. But I
don't speak any and my parents aren't French at all.
Q. Never been there?
MELANIE OUDIN: (Shaking head negatively.)
Q. Has anyone called you a giant
killer yet?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, actually a couple people have. I
mean, I don't know. We'll see how I do in the next round.
Hopefully I can keep it up, yeah.
Q. Do you think Justine Henin
has paid attention at all?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't know if she has. That would be
unbelievable. That would be really cool if she has. But I
don't know.
Q. Could you talk a little bit
about your relationship with Brian. Somewhat unusual to
have someone go through their whole development with one
coach, what that's meant to you.
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, Brian is like another dad to me. I've
been with him since I was nine, so basically since I
started playing tournaments. I mean, our relationship has
just so many things I've learned from him. We've been
through a lot together. Just to be in this position now,
I mean, getting to the fourth round of the US Open, just
a huge, huge deal. Getting through all of this is
amazing. I'm really glad, like, we've done it together.
Other News on Melanie
Interview with Melanie Oudin after
her win over Nadia Petrova at the
2009 US Open
Melanie Oudin wins again this time it is
over Nadia Petrova at the US Open 2009
Melanie Oudin will play againts
Nadia Petrova in the second match on Arthur Ashe Stadium
this morning at the 2009 US
Open
Interview with Maria Sharapova
after her lost to Melanie Oudin at the 2009 US Open
Maria Sharapova losses to Melanie
Oudin at the 2009 US Open
Elena Dementieva losses her match against
Melanie Oudin
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