Tennis

American pulls off upset

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Updated Jun 30, 2009 2:30 PM ET
     
 
WIMBLEDON , England -- One shot from losing in the first round of qualifying, Melanie Oudin will now be playing in the second week at her first Wimbledon . It has been a surprising, thrilling run for Oudin, a determined 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga., who still has many more friends and acquaintances in the junior ranks than in the main draw of the main event. But Oudin's junior days are behind her now, as she proved beyond a reasonable doubt on Saturday by thinking and hustling her way to a 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who was ranked No. 1 in the world earlier this year. It came on a show court long known as the Graveyard of Champions because of its tradition of providing a grassy staging ground for major upsets. Previously Court 2, it has been downgraded to Court 3 this year with the completion of a new, bigger Court 2 on the same southern side of the club. Oudin's upset was not on the same level as the Swiss journeyman George Bastl's defeat of Pete Sampras in 2002, or Jill Craybas' elimination of Serena Williams in 2005. But it was a most unexpected development just the same, and it was also a welcome development for American Tennis at a time when the next generation of players is struggling to make an impact in a sport increasingly dominated by Europeans. "I went out there and actually did really well just thinking she was any other player, and it was any other match and I was at any other tournament," said Oudin, who saved two match points in the first round of qualifying. Jankovic, a 24-year-old extrovert whose matches are routinely eventful, had problems of her own on this sunny, relatively humid day. After saving four set points and winning the first set, she complained of feeling faint and was treated on court by the medical staff. "I felt really dizzy, and I thought that I was just going to end up in the hospital," she said. Jankovic, who said the problem might have been linked to the fact she was menstruating, said she considered retiring from the match. She began crying as she had her blood pressure checked on court. But she ultimately decided to continue and said she experienced no other extreme symptoms except sluggishness (and the disappointment of defeat). "It's not easy being a woman sometimes," Jankovic said. "All these things happen, and what can I do? I tried my best." Oudin, ranked 124th in the world, is one of three American women in the fourth round. The others are the five-time Wimbledon champ Venus Williams and the two-time champ Serena Williams. "Super good news; I like it," Venus Williams said of Oudin's victory. While Oudin was fighting her way through her marathon, 2-hour-52-minute match on Court 3, Venus was on Centre Court finishing off Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, 6-0, 6-4. It was quite a turnabout from their only previous encounter, which Suarez won in three sets in the second round of this year's Australian Open. But this was grass and Wimbledon, the surface and tournament that Venus Williams has ruled like few before her. Andy Roddick, the only American left in the men's draw, defeated Juergen Melzer of Austria in four sets on Saturday. He will next face Tomas Berdych, the huge-hitting and unpredictable Czech with whom he has split his four previous matches. Unlike Roddick, Berdych has not lost a set in the tournament.

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