Oudin after the hype

[Forehand_lob]

NOTE: I wrote this a couple weeks after the US Open, but I think it more or less still holds. Even with the Fed Cup loss, I think that her best surface will be clay.

Now that she's not being crammed down my throat, I can probably look at Oudin's record/accomplishments without a reflexive urge to gag.

Her most impressive match at the US Open was the win against Dementieva, even if I think Elena let the pressure and crowd get to her. Looking at her record for the year, clay is her best surface, as she picked up 2 WTA challenger equivalent titles on them (before getting blown out in the first round of the qualies at the FO, ouch).

I don't know how her Henin-lite style is going to hold up with the return of Henin. I still think she has severe disadvantages against power players, and there's always the issue of quicker, nimble players having a shorter lifespan these days.

So, I'm willing to be convinced by her making it to the QFs or SFs in another big tournament.

[funches]

She was the youngest player in the top 100 last year.

She has plenty of time to develop. After all of the hype, people will expect immediate gratification (or hope for her to fall flat on her face) this year. The way she came up big in big events (but was very small in smaller events), I wouldn't be surprised if she makes a run at a slam again, but she still has plenty of room for development.

As for the clay, I'll have to be convinced of that. Seems to me she will get overpowered more easily on clay than faster surfaces, where she can use the pace of the court and her anticipation to her advantage and hit winners. But I don't watch enough women's tennis anymore to have a true read on it.

[Forehand_lob]

I don't know how many people keep up with Cronin's website, but he devoted some time to Oudin.

http://www.tennisreporters.net/ao%20%20 ... 00110.html

She's admitting that she didn't prepare well and scheduled poorly.

[funches]

Interesting stuff, although the perfectionist in me can't abide the eight or so typos.

Oudin's a bit of a whiner.

[Forehand_lob]

Well, she came through on Fed Cup against French players outside of the top 50. The only reason I mention this is because it was on clay and because it was an away match, so the crowd was against her. Let's see how Indian Wells and Miami go.

[Forehand_lob]

I know that WTT is a very goofy format, and I'm on the fence of whether it's the tennis equivalent of professional wrestling, but Hingis ended up beating Oudin in it. At one point, Hingis was/is an amazing player who could construct a point like nobody else. On the other hand, she's at least 10 years older than Oudin and must hit a lot softer.

[funches]

I actually watched the match. Right now, Oudin, who has dropped to No. 100, is not playing like one of the top 200 players in the world because she's lost all of her confidence and her backhand slice is a joke. That's of bigger concern than the confidence part, which always can return with success. Whenever she's on the run, she goes to that weak slice, which happens often because she's not fast enough to get in position to hit her regular two-hander.

Oudin hit about five screaming winners, but Hingis dominated the match. If Hingis returned to the tour and committed to being fit cardiovascular wise (which she won't and wouldn't), she would get to around 10 in the world within a year. She'd get killed by whatever big hitter was hot at the moment, but she'd still beat anyone who could not hit her off the court.

[Forehand_lob]

And, unrelated to Oudin, but involving Hingis from Tennis.com's ticker:

A member of Roger Federer’s camp approached Martina Hingis about the possibility of the former No. 1 playing mixed doubles with her fellow Swiss at the 2012 Olympics, the web site the Daily Forehand reported.

"They asked that question...We're still a long way away," Hingis said. "I'm not sure, because you have to really commit. And I feel great right now, but it's still a long way to go, it's another year...I mean, I would have to play some doubles before, or some mixed...who knows?"

Hingis would have to satify a lot of requirements to qualify, including playing singles or doubles on tour for what is believed to be at least three months prior to the Olympic selection, so that anti-doping authorities can properly test her. In June, the ITF would not allow Amelie Mauresmo to play mixed doubles at Roland Garros for similar reasons.

Hingis would also have to make herself available for 2012 Fed Cup, and even so, Switzerland would still to have to petition the International Olympic Committee to gain her entry, as she did not make herself available to play Fed Cup in two of the past four years, which is also a requirement.

Oh, please, please let that happen.

[Forehand_lob]

From tennis.com's ticker:

Unseeded Chanel Simmonds of South Africa upsets 2009 U.S. Open quarterfinalist and top seed Melanie Oudin, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, in the first round of the Lexington Challenger. "No one expected me to win, so I could play freely," Simmonds told the Lexington Herald Leader. "It's nice to play with no pressure."

Oudin, whose ranking has dropped to No. 100, decided to play the tournament in order to score some wins and get her confidence back up. "I'm not very happy, but I don't dwell on losses," she said. "Next tournament I go into, I'll be ready. This is a smaller tournament, and of course I wanted to win it. But what really matters are the Grand Slams."

Small steps, Melanie. Let's try winning a small WTA tournament before you get all grandiose on us.

[paukay]

And, unrelated to Oudin, but involving Hingis from Tennis.com's ticker:

A member of Roger Federer’s camp approached Martina Hingis about the possibility of the former No. 1 playing mixed doubles with her fellow Swiss at the 2012 Olympics, the web site the Daily Forehand reported.

"They asked that question...We're still a long way away," Hingis said. "I'm not sure, because you have to really commit. And I feel great right now, but it's still a long way to go, it's another year...I mean, I would have to play some doubles before, or some mixed...who knows?"

Hingis would have to satify a lot of requirements to qualify, including playing singles or doubles on tour for what is believed to be at least three months prior to the Olympic selection, so that anti-doping authorities can properly test her. In June, the ITF would not allow Amelie Mauresmo to play mixed doubles at Roland Garros for similar reasons.

Hingis would also have to make herself available for 2012 Fed Cup, and even so, Switzerland would still to have to petition the International Olympic Committee to gain her entry, as she did not make herself available to play Fed Cup in two of the past four years, which is also a requirement.

Oh, please, please let that happen.

agree! make this happen! )

[Deevolution]

I know this is an old topic, but does anyone know if she's really gotten anywhere since 2011? She had a really solid game. Great movement, solid backhand, fighting personality. Reminds me of Halep quite a bit. It's hard to believe that she just faded away.

[funches]

She had a physical issue that caused breathing problems on the court and that was misdiagnosed as panic attacks.Her career is pretty much kaput.