Melanie Oudin: A Ray of Hope for Post-Williams Era

It has been more than a decade since the Williams sisters first came onto the scene and started dominating the women's tour.

They have been the saving grace of American tennis—along with Andy Roddick—which has been struggling to exert the dominance over tennis it once enjoyed during the days of McEnroe and Sampras.

The Williams sisters—especially Serena—look secure to continue their dominance at Grand Slams in the near future, but with both of them approaching 30, their period of dominance will not last forever.

The emergence of the American teenager Melanie Oudin has been remarkable. At 5'6", she may not be as tall as the Russian players or the Williams sisters, but just like her idol Justine Henin, she has the ability to utilize every ounce of strength available.

She possesses a versatile game. Unlike the one dimensional players of this generation, offense is her primary weapon. She likes to hit flat and is not afraid of going for the lines.

Her short stature means that she can move easily around the court and, most importantly, she does not commit a dozen double faults, even when playing good returners of serve like Elena Dementieva.

It is her personal characteristics, though, that have caught immediate attention.

Her self belief was evident in the third round at Wimbledon, when she bounced back to upset Jelena Jankovic after losing five set points in the first set and five more in the second!

Her penetrating eyes showed a sense of determination and her fist pumps and aggression show the desire to succeed at the highest level.

As if claiming that her victory against Jankovic was no fluke, the 17-year-old showcased an even more impressive contest when she defeated the world No. 4—and the favorite to win the title—Dementieva on her favorite surface.

This match was a complete display of the abilities that Oudin can bring on to the tour. She can hit winners from behind the baseline and her forehand is penetrating.

She continued fighting despite losing the first set and suffering from a painful quad injury in the early part of the second. She played in half tears for the rest of the match and yet had the grit and stamina to stand toe-to-toe and finally outlast her opponent after almost three hours.

Her next opponent is another formidable foe in Maria Sharapova. In Wimbledon, she was emotionally drained after her victory against Jankovic, but the experience of this victory at Arthur Ashe will definitely help her.

Regardless of her result against Sharapova, she has shown initial promise of succeeding at the highest level. It remains to be seen whether this can convert into formidable results.