Rising Oudin says it’s all about belief

Saturday on the sport’s biggest stage,the 17-year-old Oudin toppled the biggest opponent of her young career,defeating three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova,3-6 6-4 7-5,with a performance that hinged on the teenager’s rare conviction in herself and her game.

With the victory,Oudin advances to the tournament’s fourth round,where she’ll face another Russian,13th-seeded Nadia Petrova. But at this moment in Oudin’s career — having upset two top-10 players in the past two months (sixth-ranked Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon and fourth-ranked Elena Dementieva in the US Open’s second round) and,now,former world No 1 Sharapova — nothing seems impossible for the sparkplug from Marietta,Georgia.

Giddy teen

Oudin fought like a lion-hearted warrior against an opponent who was eight inches taller and seven years older,but she was 100 per cent a giddy teen when the chair umpire announced,“Game,Set and Match.”

Oudin dropped her racket and raised both arms in triumph as a bewildered look of disbelief crept across her face and tears welled in her eyes. Later,she sat in her courtside chair a moment and buried her face in a towel as the crowd of 23,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium stood and cheered.

Asked how she managed to keep battling after falling behind,Oudin replied with a teary-eyed,stream-of-consciousness celebration. “I dunno!” she said. “I fought as hard as I could,and I have ‘Believe’ on my shoes,and I ended up winning,and I’m SO happy!”