Rising US tennis star Melanie Oudin believes the confidence she gained from her run in the US Open will help her in Beijing.
Teen sensations hopes for Beijing success
Rising US tennis star Melanie Oudin believes the confidence she gained from her run in the US Open will help her at the China Open in Beijing.
The 18-year-old made it through to the last eight at Flushing Meadows, gaining surprise victories over fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova.
Oudin also marked her breakthrough season with a fourth-round showing at Wimbledon, beating another former world number one in the shape of Jelena Jankovic along the way.
The Georgia native faces fellow American Alexa Glatch in the qualifying rounds of the China Open on Friday, and said she feels confident going into the tournament.
"I don't think my mental game has changed since the US Open except that it has given me more confidence. I definitely think I can keep up with these girls," Oudin said after a practice session.
Strong
Oudin has reached a career-high world ranking of 42, and despite her recent success at Flushing Meadows, she hasn't become complacent in her training.
"I've been trying to work on a bunch of things since the US Open. I am trying to make my game strong and to move quicker on the court," she said, according to a statement posted on the tournament website.
The women's singles competition will be headlined by world number one Dinara Safina, Serena and Venus Williams, Dementieva and titleholder Jankovic.
The men's side includes world number two Rafael Nadal, defending champion Andy Roddick and Serbia's Novak Djokovic.
