Will Melanie Oudin Score a Sequel?

Will American tennis darling Melanie Oudin pull off a repeat of last year’s fairytale U.S. Open run? It’s looking up for the Georgia native. On Monday, Oudin sailed to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Olga Savchuk of Ukraine. “It felt so good to be out there again and hearing the crowd,” the 18-year-old said. “Just being on Ashe again and playing, no matter who I was playing." The buzz, it turns out, was much deserved: While she’s remained somewhat under-the-radar this past year, Oudin has remained in the top 50 of women’s tennis. “I’m definitely not going backward, that’s for sure,” Oudin said. “There have been a lot of good things about this year. I have improved. I’m definitely more mature as a player and a person.” Oudin’s next matchup: the Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko.