Interview
with Melanie Oudin after her win over Nadia Petrova at the 2009 US
Open
Melanie
Oudin played againts Nadia Petrova in the second match on
Arthur Ashe Stadium this morning at the 2009 US Open, Melanie won in 3 sets 1-6,7-6,6-3
Melanie turn pro in 2008 and was
not very well known outside of the US. But now, she is
now very well known all over the world specially in
Russia. Melanie is the one took out 2 times Olympic
medalist [ Gold medal in China and Silver medal in
Sidney] and ranked number 4 Russian Elena Dementieva that got her a lot of attention. But what
really got her on the map is when she took out of the
tournament Russian Maria Sharapova who did not play last year at the US Open
2008 because of her shoulder injury and very much loved
in New-York. Basically she has beated the 2 finalist at the Rogers Cup in Toronto a few weeks ago. Now No.13 Russian Nadia
Petrova has been defeated to Melanie.
Q. How important was that eighth
game in the second set?
MELANIE OUDIN: It was very important. If I would have
lost that one...
The crowd really, really supported me and helped me
through for that game. And once I got to 4 All it was
going to be tight and close, and I had been in that
situation before in earlier matches, so I thought I had a
good chance.
Q. How did you prepare, mentally
physically, tactically? You haven't played Nadia before.
MELANIE OUDIN: Actually, she played a lot like my past
two opponents I played, so I had the same kind of game
plan going into it. I knew that she was really a tough
competitor, and I was going to have to play a good match.
That's what I ended up doing.
Yeah, I'm really happy that I won.
Q. How would you describe what
you've done and how you've done it?
MELANIE OUDIN: You know, it's kind of hard to explain how
I've done it. Like today, there are no tears because I
believed that I could do it. And it's like now I know
that I do 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.
Q. The last three people you've
played sort of are in disbelief. It's like, well, yeah,
she beat me, but I lost. I mean, are you just keeping
them off balance? Are you psyching them out? Are you just
playing better than they think you can play?
MELANIE OUDIN: You know, I think it's just mentally I'm
staying in there with them the whole time, and I'm not
giving up at all. So they're going to have to if they're
going to beat me, they're going to beat me, because I'm
not going to go anywhere.
Q. Could you talk just a little
bit about the lob you hit, I believe to break her the
first time in the third set. Was your mindset offensive
or defensive? Did that unfold just like you pictured it,
I imagine?
MELANIE OUDIN: I had a lot of break chances in that game
and she didn't have any, so I knew that I needed to come
up with she came up to net, and it was, like, Yeah, I'll
throw up a lob, and it ended up going in.
Yeah, I think I was on the defensive at that point.
Q. At the end of the first you
looked a little lost. What was it that wasn't happening?
You didn't get the serve timing down? The forehand didn't
seem to be working well, either.
MELANIE OUDIN: Yeah, she was playing really well. She
played a really great first set.
You know, I think I could have played a little better. I
was shaking a little bit. My timing wasn't that great. I
didn't serve very well the first set.
But, you know, she was hitting winners on me left and
right and serving unbelievable. So, you know, I just
stayed there with her in the second and started off
strong.
Q. Were you feeling tired at all
in the third set?
MELANIE OUDIN: Not really at all. I mean, my
adrenaline was going, so I felt good.
Q. Is your leg impacting any of
your play?
MELANIE OUDIN: No, my leg my leg is good. It's doing
really, really well. I'm happy with it.
Q. This was the third
consecutive match in which you lost the first set. What's
your mindset when that happens? What's your mindset been
in this tournament when that happens?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't actually mean to lose the
first set. I just I sometimes just start off slowly, I
guess. Maybe I'm a little nervous and all this stuff.
But today my timing just wasn't there in the first. My
mindset going into the second was different. I totally
forgot about the first. I was like, All right. This is a
new set. I'm going to start differently and forget about
the first one and just start off like it's a new match,
and I started playing better.
Q. What's the feeling when you
have the crowd behind you the way the crowd was behind
you? Not only the last match, but certainly today.
MELANIE OUDIN: It's really a great feeling. I mean, to
know like everyone stood up when I had my first match
point. Just when I won the second set, a standing
ovation. I mean, it's crazy how many people are cheering
for me and supporting me.
Q. Do you remember the fifth
game of the second set? You were ahead and you were going
very well. Then you whiffed. You missed an overhead
altogether. Things started to fall apart. Was that
disheartening when you did that?
MELANIE OUDIN: It was. It was. As soon as I missed that
overhead, I lost like three or four points in a row and
got down, and I had the lead 3 1. So, yes, that was a
little hard, but I forgot about it, so I pulled it out.
Q. When you are down a set, does
it feel like your back is against a wall and you get more
intense playing?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think it does help me because I've
been in that situation many times of losing the first set
and being able to come back and win. Because I do well
with forgetting about the first one and starting over
like it's a totally new match, so I don't even I forget
about the first set, and I'm just going to start off and
my mind is going to be just on what's happening right
then.
Q. What would the Melanie as a
girl and a kid who was hitting the ball again and again
and again against the garage think about Melanie who is
into this year's US Open quarterfinal?
MELANIE OUDIN: She would be so excited, because this is
my dream forever. I've worked so hard for this, and it's
finally happening. I'm in my first quarterfinal of a
Grand Slam. It's amazing.
Q. Would she believe it?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think so, yes. Because this is what I've
wanted forever, and I'm finally achieving my goal.
Q. The celebrity that comes with
all this, how has it been for you as each day brings more
attention?
MELANIE OUDIN: It's been good. It's definitely
different. I'm getting used to it, but I think it's nice,
you know, people are cheering for me. I have some new
fans.
Q. Can I just ask you something
about your name? I'm not American, but your name is very
uncommon in America. How do you pronounce it? Is it
French?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, it's French background. My great
grandfather is French.
Q. I guess people don't
pronounce it right.
MELANIE OUDIN: Sometimes they get it wrong, but I
don't try to tell them anymore.
Q. You have eliminated four
Russians. Three of them big and good. Did you determine a
specific weakness in all of them?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't think they had weaknesses. I
believe all the matches I've played have been really
close, and it's just been I've just been able to pull
them out. Every single match has been so competitive and
so close, and I've been able to pull it out in the end.
Q. Basically you managed to
crush them. The third set, that was basically something
happened in third sets or with last three matches?
MELANIE OUDIN: You know, I think it's when I start
the third I start off really well in every third set I
played because I believe in myself so much after I win a
second. I have the momentum going, and I know I can win.
I think I can win.
That's what I think out there, and when I do that, I
start playing better and better.
Q. Do you want to see another
Russian next round?
MELANIE OUDIN: I don't really -- I don't really care
who I get. I'm happy to be in the quarterfinals. I know
it's going to be a tough match no matter who I play.
Q. Kuznetsova or Wozniacki, do
you have a preference or your feeling on playing one of
them?
MELANIE OUDIN: I've never played either of them
before. Just watched them play.
Q. How do you prepare?
MELANIE OUDIN: Just playing my game. I'm going to
practice good tomorrow and look forward to the next
match.
Q. Obviously most of the
attention has been very positive, but the incident that
happened at Times Square, was that a little bit scary?
And do you think that sometimes it's a little crazy what
the media attention, the fan attention can be?
MELANIE OUDIN: I know sometimes things like that
happen, but not very often, so it wasn't that big of a
deal.
Q. What were your goals entering
the tournament? And how have they changed now that you're
into the quarterfinals?
MELANIE OUDIN: Entering the tournament, I just wanted to
play well and fight hard. I had a really disappointing
loss last year, so I wanted to do better this year.
Now I'm just going to keep playing my same game and keep
fighting. It hasn't really changed since then. I'm just
going to keep playing.
Q. What was the disappointing
loss?
MELANIE OUDIN: Last year I lost to a wildcard, Jessica
Ward, 7 6, 7 6. It was the first round of the pros here.
Q. You entered the US Open not
only in the women's singles but also in doubles and mixed
doubles. Has it worked out well for you that you lost in
the first round of the doubles tournaments?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think so. You know, I don't think it was
such a good idea for me to play doubles after I had that
long match against Elena. I think I've been so focused on
my singles here that doubles has been it was helping I
mean, I wanted to use it to help my singles. You know, to
get better, coming in more and using more, you know,
serving and volleying and coming in.
But I've been so focused on my singles matches that
that's what's most important to me now.
Q. Do you think you'll refocus
whether to enter doubles in future tournaments?
MELANIE OUDIN: I probably I want to play doubles. I like
playing doubles, and I think it helps my singles a lot.
That's what I use it for.
Q. Women's American tennis is
basically the domain of the Williams sisters for years.
Have they spoken with you or have you spoken with them
about handling all this sudden fame in the last week?
MELANIE OUDIN: No, I haven't really talked to them about
it, but I think I'm doing a pretty good job handling it.
It's hard, but I'm trying to take it one step at a time.
Q. I would imagine that changing
sod at your home club is a pretty tough task. How would
you compare all of that with winning a match on Ashe
stadium?
MELANIE OUDIN: Hey, I mean, whatever works. I mean,
I'm used to doing all that. That's not going to change.
My coach I'm still, you know, the same person in his
eyes, you know, no matter what.
So I'm still going to be placing sod on the ground when I
get back home probably.
Q. I wonder how you can stay so
surprisingly normal in a high pressure world of junior
tennis and the stage you're on. What have your parents
done or what is it about your family, your upbringing,
that allow you to be so refreshingly normal?
MELANIE OUDIN: It's not hard for me. I've always been
like this. So just because all of this is happening, it's
not like I'm going to change the person. I just love to
play tennis and I'm doing well and I'm winning. That's
the only thing that's changing.
Q. With the word
"believe" on your sneakers, what do you believe
now that you maybe didn't believe at the start of this
tournament?
MELANIE OUDIN: 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 actually coming through and
winning.
So now, even if I get a set down, I still, like, 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.
Q. Do you have any new beliefs
though as a result of what you've done here?
MELANIE OUDIN: Not really. I mean, I know that I can
compete with the best in the world now, and I will know
that forever.
Q. Can you be the champion?
MELANIE OUDIN: Maybe some day, hopefully.
Q. Looking back, how important
was the Fed Cup and everything to your season?
MELANIE OUDIN: It was really important. I loved
playing. That was a huge pressure situation there, being
down 2 1 and then being down a set and coming back, so
that helped me a lot. That experience was unbelievable.
Q. Who was your role model?
You're still very young, but let's say when you were 12,
13, 14, and you were looking into becoming a professional
tennis player, who was your idol or role model of all the
players?
MELANIE OUDIN: Justine Henin.
Q. Because she's also, I want to
say you are compared to most top players not very tall,
and Justine is also like 5'6", 5'7".
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, and the way she plays. I love the
way she plays. She's so quick on the court. She just uses
her variety to the best she can.
Q. Did you attempt the one
handed backhand ever?
MELANIE OUDIN: No.
Q. The leg is still taped. Are
you feeling any discomfort? What's the status of that?
MELANIE OUDIN: No, I've gotten used to it being
taped. I need it for precautionary reasons, but it's
doing a lot better. It hasn't really hurt at all, so I'm
really glad it's getting healthy.
Q. We know the leg has bothered
you for a while off and on in the summer. How did it
originally get hurt?
MELANIE OUDIN: I actually strained it in my match in
Stanford. Then it got a little bit worse playing those
next few tournaments. That is why I pulled out of the
last two Open series.
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 Melanie Oudin after
her win over Maria sharapova 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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