Open competition

A few random thoughts about Melanie Oudin and her improbable run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open:

- Can you imagine if Oudin, who is 17, were playing for a high school tennis team right now? She’s spent the past week picking off some of the top names in women’s professional tennis, and before the end of the month, she’ll celebrate her 18th birthday.
Most tennis players her age just started practice a couple weeks ago for the upcoming fall season and are lamenting the fact that their summer vacation is over.
Turning pro seems like the right call for Oudin, and even if she hadn't done so last February, it's unlikely she'd be playing for her high school. But, if she went to school around here, it would be fun to watch her run roughshod over her competition.

- As much as I want to root for this kid, the media people covering the Open are making it difficult. They talk her up so much and, regardless of what anyone else does, she’s the story. Somebody even had the gall to ask Roger Federer about her after he advanced to the quarterfinals on Monday.
Roger Federer! The guy who is on the verge of winning this tournament for the sixth straight time, which no one has done in nearly 100 years has to answer questions about a player he’ll never face.
As always, though, Federer was classy in his response, saying, “Nice for a change that somebody’s coming up we haven’t heard about much before.”
It’s a good thing I’m not a world-class tennis player, because I wouldn’t have been as cordial.

- That said, I’m putting all the media hype aside and I am rooting for Oudin — and Kim Clijsters, who is a really good story that’s getting virtually ignored. Oudin has a great chance to get to the final, where she’ll more than likely get smacked around by Serena Williams, who has yet to be challenged in this tournament. But that’s another reason I’m rooting for Oudin and Clijsters: I’m sick to death of the Williams sisters. They’ve been great for the sport, no doubt, and have dominated the women’s game for a decade, which is pretty rare in tennis. But enough, already. It’s way past time for someone to supplant Venus and Serena as the biggest names in the game.
A few more wins, and Oudin could be well on her way.