Oudin survives Szavay scare, faces Dementieva
Originally published on: 26/02/10 11:54
Melanie Oudin will bid for a place in the final of the Open GDF Suez tournament in Paris against world No.7 Elena Dementieva in a repeat of the US Open second round encounter that shot the teenager to fame in 2010.
The world No.53, at 18 the tournament’s youngest player, beat Agnes Szavay 2-6 6-4 6-2 after being a set and 3-1 down at one stage to book her place in the final four.
Oudin was roundly outplayed by the Hungarian in the first set, but showed composure beyond her years to turn the match around in the second.
With Szavay, finalist at the Paris indoors event in 2008, visibly wilting, the American wrapped up the final set 6-2.
“I just kept fighting and I started playing some really good tennis and had a great third set,” Oudin said, before adding that she expects “a really tough match” against Dementieva.
The tournament top seed also need three sets to book her semi-final spot after being worked hard by Andrea Petkovic before coming through 3-6 6-4 6-2.
The German’s heavy serve and ferocious returning game made life difficult for the Russian, who like Oudin trailed by a set and a break before storming back.
“I saw her match against Rezai so I knew she was playing well but I didn’t expect this much from her,” a relieved Dementieva admitted. “She is a young player with lots of talent and had nothing to lose.
“It was a tough game, we were fighting for every point so I am just happy to get through.”
The match hinged on the outcome of game five of the second set. With Dementieva having just broken back to level at 2-2, her next service game lasted 15 minutes with six deuces.
But after holding, Dementieva went on to break serve again and closed out the match in the third.
The other semi-final will see Flavia Pennetta face Lucie Safarova after the No.2 seeded Italian took 58 minutes to dispatch compatriot Tathiana Garbin 6-1 6-3.
Safarova, a finalist in 2007, was five minutes quicker in beating No.6 seed Shahar Peer 6-3 6-0.
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