Powerhouse teen phenomenons Melanie Oudin and Caroline Wozniacki rallied on Monday to complete an ouster of Russian stars from the US Open and advance to their first Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Powerhouse teen phenomenons Melanie Oudin and Caroline Wozniacki rallied on Monday to complete an ouster of Russian stars from the US Open and advance to their first Grand Slam quarter-finals.
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The unseeded Oudin, who turns 18 on September 23, ousted 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3. It was her third triumph in a row after losing the first set to a seeded Russian rival.
"I didn't think I started off too well and Nadia served unbelievable, but I stayed in there with her in the second set and she gave me a few free points and I got my confidence and I believed I could do it and I did it," Oudin said.
Danish ninth seed Wozniacki blasted sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), never trailing in either tie-breaker and keeping the pressure upon the 2004 US Open champion all night.
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| Svetlana Kuznetsova |
"She just played unbelievable the first set and I didn't know what to do," Wozniacki said. "I needed to step into the ball because she was dictating the game. My tactic was to put pressure on her, be the first one to dictate."
The reigning French Open champion fired 59 winners but lost by making 63 unforced errors, 31 more than Wozniacki.
"It was my game and I lost it," Kuznetsova said. "I couldn't control my emotions. I wanted it so much. I was giving her some chances. I gave her the chance to come back, to believe should could win.
"Give her credit. She put the balls back in the court but I was beating myself. I was making too many unforced errors. I was missing easy balls and I can't do that."
Kuznetsova took advantage of all three break chances to win the first set in 27 minutes, but blundered in the tie-breaks.
Wozniacki served for the match at 5-3 but was broken, then Kuznetsova saved match points in the 10th and 12th games before again failing in the decider.
"I felt like I was in control of almost all the points," Kuznetsova said. "It's just the tie-breaks I played bad."
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