WIMBLEDON 2012 - RAFA NADAL

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WIMBLEDON 2012

June 25, - July 8, 2012

Wimbledon Website

Wimbledon, England is 5 hours ahead of USA/EST

NOTE: Updated, Thursday, June 28, 2012, 11:20 p.m. USA/EST

Round 2 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his Gentlemen's Singles second round match against Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic on day four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 28, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe. Click on image to enlarge.  Unfortunately Rafa lost: 7-6(9), 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.

Round 1

Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2] defeated  Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 
7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Round 2
Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2] lost to Lukas Rosol
7-6(9), 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6
Thursday, June 28, 2012 
Centre Court

TV - USA

ESPN2, ESPN

ESPN TV Schedule Guide for 6-26-2012

ESPN - TV On Air Schedule

ESPN Courtcast

ABC will air some replay matches

The Tennis Channel 

at night and all through the night - match replays

The Tennis Channel Website

The Tennis Channel Schedule

ONLINE STREAMING 

Live Streaming

Live Streaming at ESPN3

ESPN3 - Choose from selection of tabs: Live, Upcoming, Replay
(Click on Event Schedule at the link)

Replay streaming is available approximately one hour following completion of the match.

 

Live - Wimbledon Radio

Multimedia Archive at Wimbledon Website

NOTE: Thankfully for those of us, who love tennis or one special player, and have more than access to USA TV network stations, the coverage this year is exclusively live with ESPN2, and not with NBC Sports.

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Pictures of Rafa - Wimbledon 2012

Before Round 1

Zimbio - Rafa - Before Round 1

UK Eurosport Yahoo - Rafa - Before Round 1

Daylife - Rafa - Before Round 1

Spain's Rafael Nadal sits at the side of the court after a practice session on the eve of the start of the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 24, 2012. Photo credit: Getty photographer. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

 Training Before Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on in a practice session during previews for the Wimbledon Championships 2012 at Wimbledon on June 24, 2012 in London, England. Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe.  Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Training Before Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain participates in a practice session on the outside courts during previews to The Championships at Wimbledon on June 23, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe.  Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Training Before Round 1 - Rafa Nadal of Spain participates in a practice session during previews to The Championships at Wimbledon on June 23, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

 Round 1 

Zimbio - Round 1 Pictures

Daylife

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain (shoe detail) in action during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a play during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a play during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a play during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a play during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size. More pictures of Round 1 below.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain during a break during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain during a break during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 -Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain lines up a shot during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a backhand return during his his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 -Rafael Nadal of Spain in action during his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England.  Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Round 1 - Rafael Nadal of Spain waves to the crowd after winning his Gentlemen's Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2012 in London, England. Score: 7-6(7-0), 6-2, 6-3. Click on pictures to enlarge the size.

Rafa practicing Wednesday, June 27, 2012

UK Eurosport

Round 2

Zimbio - Round 2

Round 2 - Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his Gentlemen's Singles second round match against Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic on day four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 28, 2012 in London, England. Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe. Click on image to enlarge.

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Fan Support Sites ~ Great sources of information


Vamos Brigade


Rafa's Babolat-sponsored Forum

Join me at ~

Facebook RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS


Rafa's Facebook
www.facebook.com/Nadal

TENNIS INTO THE NIGHT FOR RAFA

Round 3 Rafael Nadal defeated Nicolas Almagro Sunday, September 6, 2009 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

Rafa plays Gael Monfils next
Round 4
September 8, Tuesday night
Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils are scheduled to play on Arthur Ashe Court after Serena Williams and Flavia Pennetta

The women are scheduled to start not earlier than 7:00 p.m.


The afternoon matches on Arthur Ashe are

Women's Singles - Quarterfinals
Na Li(CHN)[18]	vs.	Kim Clijsters(BEL)

Men's Singles - 4th Round
Marin Cilic(CRO)[16]	vs.	Andy Murray(GBR)[2]

This week in the USA the matches can be watched on the U.S. Open website. Click this post's title to go to the website. You can watch two matches at once with the picture in a picture feature. The website is fabuous. Also, ESPN2 will be airing matches that they feel merit their coverage. On my sidebar is a button I grabbed at the U.S. Open website. You can get the live scores of all the matches. Check it out.

Rafa will be playing the last match of the night Tuesday, September 8, which probably means he will be playing late into the night. The scary thing is his muscle that is in his abdominal area. We thought the knees were the worry. Oh, dear. Didn't his trainer have him doing free weights on his back on his off months?! That would have strengthened the abdominal muscles while he was off the knees.

Here is hoping he can keep playing good enough to get through to the Quarter Finals.

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Nicolas Almagro of Spain during day seven of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 6, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America

Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America

Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America

Photo credit: Jim McIsaac/ Getty Images

Photo credit: Jim McIsaac/ Getty Images


Photo credit: Juilan Finney/ Getty Images


Photo credit: Juilan Finney/ Getty Images


Photo credit: Juilan Finney/ Getty Images


Photo credit: Nick Laham/ Getty Images


Photo credit: Nick Laham/ Getty Images

Photo credit: Nick Laham/ Getty Images

Though we don't have sleeveless, love those shirt changes....


Photo credit: Jim McIsaac/ Getty Images

I remember seeing this. Rafa was taking off his shirt to change it to a fresh one. We don't get the pleasure of seeing these shirt changes normally because networks cut to commercial at these times. But, CBS came back after commercial and shared the clip with us. (These shirt changes are always shown when U.S. Open website is streaming the matches. And also when you pay to see the matches of other tournaments at http://www.tennistv.com/page/Home/0,,11444,00.html)

...Rafa heard the crowd erupting in a cheer and looked up. Then he realized the crowd was cheering his shirt being off.

The CBS commentators said the loudest cheer was when Rafa changed his shirt. It happens at 34 seconds into the video. Take a look (it's in Spanish, but you'll get the idea):
www.youtube.com

Here is the after match, on-court interview, Rafa is asked what he thought about the fan reaction when he took his shirt off (it is at the 1:40 mark):
www.youtube.com
"Thank you... I am a little bit shy." Rafa

78 Pictures of Rafa in the Round 3 match with Nicolas Almagro:
Rafael+Nadal

78! Those photographers know who to take pictures of - don't they?


Click on my post's title and it will take you to the wonderful U.S. Open website.

Interactive Draw with many wonderful informative links (Find tab Draws, which is second at the top, then go to Interactive Draws:
www.usopen.org/en_US/tracker

Other live streams may possibly be found at

www.tennis-channel.tv/tennis

atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

TV Schedule
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/about/tv_us.html

Websites that always have great articles and pictures:
Fan sponsored website:
vamosbrigade.com

The original forum for Rafa's website (before Nike took it over)
www.babolat.com

Rafa's Blog and answers fans' questions
imesonline.typepad.com/rafael_nadal
email your questions to Rafa:
rafa@timesonline.co.uk

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Melanie Oudin
Photo credit: Philip Hall of U.S. Open.org

America's sweetheart Oudin reaches quarterfinals

By Clair Maciel
Monday, September 7, 2009

Source: www.usopen.org

Melanie Oudin’s Cinderella story continues at the 2009 US Open. The 17-year-old Georgia native’s incredible run is still going strong, as Oudin advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 come-from-behind win over No. 13 seed Nadia Petrova.

On her third match point, Oudin hit a screaming forehand crosscourt winner that landed out of Petrova’s reach. The second the ball hit the open court, she raised her arms and dropped her racket, with the entire crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on its feet and erupting in celebration. But the cheers were not only limited to the main show court.

Fans all across the grounds who were listening to their portable American Express radios began cheering for Oudin when they heard she had won match point. Even the crowd in Louis Armstrong Stadium broke out in celebration midway through the match between Petra Kvitova and Yanina Wickmayer.

After taking down three straight Russian opponents, Oudin’s next opponent will be the winner between Caroline Wozniacki and another Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“Now I know that I do belong here,” Oudin said of her continued success. “I can compete with these girls no matter who I'm playing. I have a chance against anyone.

“Coming into the tournament, I did believe that I could compete with these girls, but it was just figuring out a way to win in these tough matches and these pressure situations actually coming through and winning. So now, even if I get a set down, I still believe in myself and my game. I know that if I fight as hard as I can, do the best I can, hopefully I can do it.”

Petrova dominated through the beginning stages of the match, using her power baseline game to stun the young American. An opening service break was the only time Petrova dropped a game in the first set. But it wasn’t until the second set that her game started to fall apart, and she just could not keep the ball in play.

Petrova hit a staggering 59 unforced errors on the match, 25 of which came in the second set, and another 22 in the third. Oudin took a 3-1 lead in the second before Petrova broke back and held for 3-3. Two more breaks of serve were traded before a tiebreaker would decide the set.

Oudin took a quick 5-0 lead in the breaker, capitalizing on the Russian’s errors. A Petrova forehand that sailed wide gave the American the set.

Petrova said the toughest challenge Oudin posed was her movement and ability to run down every shot no matter what Petrova did.

“It's really difficult, because I felt like I had to come up with a good shot, and I was taking my chances,” Petrova said. “I was trying to put pressure on her by going to the net. But I was playing more high‑risk tennis than she did. But, I mean, I'm giving her big credit by running all over the court, getting all those shots back.”

In her two previous matches against Sharapova and Dementieva, Oudin has done well coming back to win after losing the first set. But being in a pressure situation and staying strong mentally is something she handles well.

“I've been in that situation many times of losing the first set and being able to come back and win,” Oudin said. “I do well with forgetting about the first set and starting over like it's a totally new match. I start off really well in every third set I played because I believe in myself so much after I win a second. I have the momentum going, and I know I can win. That's what I think out there, and when I do that, I start playing better and better.”

After Oudin had a 40-0 lead in the opening game of the third set on Petrova’s serve, Petrova fought back, fending off six game points before Oudin hit a winning lob that caught the back line. From then on, it all went in Oudin’s direction. Petrova continued to struggle with her service game, double faulting to give Oudin a 3-2 lead that she would run away with.

Petrova served to stay in the match at 5-3, saving two match points. But on Oudin’s third match point, she fired a solid crosscourt forehand, a shot that she relied on to win so many rallies in the match, and closed it out.

Oudin has had a phenomenal season in 2009. At this time last year, she was ranked No. 221 and needed a wild card just to get into the main draw at the US Open, where she lost in the first round. This year, her place in the quarterfinals ensures that she will break the top 45.

As fans have watched her advance round after round here in Flushing Meadows, they are starting to believe there is a lot of promise in the future for American women’s tennis, beyond Venus and Serena Williams. So the question still remains. How far can she go at the US Open? One thing is for sure, no one has more heart and belief than Oudin. And the possibilities for her are endless.

Melanie Oudin into the Quarter Finals
Uploaded by kingtanto

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Sudan awards outgoing UNAMID'S chief Nilein Order
www.sudantribune.com

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GENOCIDE WILL STOP WITH US

Letter - All Is Not Well in Darfur - NYTimes.com

Comments to President Obama:
202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE

Contact President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov/contact

My letter sent via http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Dear President Obama,

The audacity of hope has turned into the audacity of indifference.

Please do what needs to be done to restore humanitarian aid to Darfur and do it immediately.

Darfuris are dying while you issue embarrassingly mild statements which suggest appeasement and "more of the same" instead of the honest and courageous leadership we voted for. President Clinton did nothing for Rwanda and now you are doing nothing for Darfur.

Now as the U.S. assumes the presidency of the Security Council during the month of September, please Mr. President, be the leader who leads on this defining issue.

I was one who believed you were part of the change we could believe in. Now, I am not so sure. Silence in this case, kills, President Obama. Silence is irresponsible.

Sandra Hammel

Community Volunteer Leader

Use Your Voice to Save Darfur Rhode Island

"The Most Important Office is That of Private Citizen"
Louis D. Brandeis

Dear President Obama - A letter sent March 12, 2009

Join the Fast for Darfuris

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Websites to learn about Darfur:

By a Darfuri living in the United States of America:
while we wait sudan

The basics about Darfur:
savedarfur.org/pages/primer

www.savedarfur.org

www.stopgenocidenow.org

No More Empty Promises

NOT ALL IS EQUAL WHEN GOING SLEEVELESS - WHY COVER UP THE NUMBER 1 BICEPS? BRING BACK RAFA'S SIGNATURE LOOK

Round 2
Friday night, September 4, 2009
Rafael Nadal defeated Nicolas Kiefer 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Round 3
Next Rafa plays Sunday, September 6, 2009
His opponent will be Spaniard Nicolas Almagro
The match won't begin before 12:30 p.m. on Arthur Ashe Court
In the USA, it is supposedly going to be televised on CBS. I say "supposedly" because Friday night CBS cut away to other matches, so thankfully it was live streamed on www.usopen.org

But this weekend whenever CBS is airing the U.S. Open there is no live streaming. But Saturday night, when CBS DID NOT air ANY tennis matches, then there was the wonderful live stream available.

Click on my post's title and it will take you to the wonderful U.S. Open website.

Interactive Draw with many wonderful informative links (Find tab Draws, which is second at the top, then go to Interactive Draws:
www.usopen.org/en_US/tracker

Other live streams may possibly be found at

www.tennis-channel.tv/tennis

atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

TV Schedule
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/about/tv_us.html

11 pictures of Rafael Nadal in Round 2 match

Websites that always have great articles and pictures:
Fan sponsored website:
vamosbrigade.com

The original forum for Rafa's website (before Nike took it over)
www.babolat.com

Picture this without the sleeves

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Nicolas Kiefer of Germany during day five of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

ABOUT THE SLEEVES and other Rafa signature bits

I look at Rafa ready to receive his opponent's serve. He is bent over at a 90 degree angle as always, but he doesn't look like Rafa. The hair, the sleeves, the shorts. It is difficult to make Rafa look boring, but NIKE has succeeded. From a distance, he looks like every other player now. Not the signature look we fans adore.

Any tennis player can wear sleeves, but not all is equal when going sleeveless. Rafa has the number 1 arms. And the tush definition isn't the same with the cut of the shorts we must endure since the 3/4 length of pants have gone by way of the dinosaur.

One OUTstanding question and answer:
I heard that you may possibly be returning to your signature 'sleeveless' kit sometime next year? Can you please confirm that this is true? Trish
RN (Rafael Nadal): I had a good time in Montreal playing the first round with it. Felt great. We leave this open. maybe yes, maybe no...
Source: timesonline.typepad

At http://vamosbrigade.com/ under Droolers Anonymous, you can find Rafa's Clothing Updates - Official Mourner's Thread

At least, we still have this

THUMBS DOWN FOR CBS
What are they thinking?! Some boring TV shows are on while the U.S. Open night matches are being played Saturday, September 5. Thumbs down for CBS.

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Rafa before Round 2 match and after the win
Uploaded by luneworld

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Rafa's press interview after Round 2 match
Uploaded by USOPEN

Rafa's Blog and answers fans' questions
imesonline.typepad.com/rafael_nadal
email your questions to Rafa:
rafa@timesonline.co.uk

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Melanie Oudin wins over Sharapova
3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a third round match on Saturday of the 2009 US Open.

Oudin evaporates Maria

Source: www.usopen.org

Saturday, September 5, 2009
By Matt Cronin

The last player to knock off Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova in consecutive matches this summer was seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

Look out world, here comes Melanie Oudin, who on Saturday followed up her huge upset of Dementieva with an even more impressive knockout of 2006 US Open champion Sharapova, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the third round.

The 5-foot-6 sparkplug from Georgia overcame her own nerves in the first set and one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen by controlling play from the baseline, mixing up her serves in the second set and attacking Sharapova's serve whenever she got a chance, which wasn't often, as the Russian served what is believed to be a record in a US Open women's match -- 21 double faults.

“She's seen herself on that court for a lot of years,” said Oudin's mother, Lesley. “She held the electricity of the crowd, and that brings all elements together.”

A number of teens might have cracked under the circumstances, but not Oudin, who didn't get discouraged, despite the fact that Sharapova fought back from break down in the third set to even it at 5-5. But the Russian -- whose surgically repaired shoulder was treated in the third set -- couldn't get her toss right, or her newly abbreviated motion to work correctly, and double faulted to hand Oudin the break to 6-5.

“Just couldn't decelerate today," Sharapova said. “I was hitting second serves no less than 95 miles per hour. I even tried to hit it less, and I just couldn't. It's frustrating because you work so hard to get to a certain point. You always want to get better. I feel like I've had a good enough summer. I probably could have definitely performed better. But it's just not the way things go sometimes.”

U.S. Fed Cup heroine Oudin then stood up strong, winning the match with a bullet serve and a crosscourt forehand winner.

“She said this morning she could do it, and that's what it takes,” Lesley Oudin said. “A lot of people can hit the ball, but it's so mental. Melanie thrives under pressure.”

Whether Oudin can maintain her energy won't be known until she takes the courts in the second week. Her weaponry is now obvious: a forehand that she loves to leap into and can hit any which way for a winner; terrific anticipation and binding foot speed; and a high-variety backhand that keeps even a huge accomplished hitter like Sharapova at bay.

"Going into the match today, I knew that Maria was going to be really powerful, and I knew that she was going to be hitting the corners,” Oudin said. “ I knew she has a really good serve. So I was going to just try to move as well as I could and play good defense, try to get her moving before I was the one moving, and try to control the points.”

Oudin will face No. 13 seed Nadia Petrova in the next round, whom she has never faced before. But after beating two Russians who are more accomplished than Petrova is, there is little reason to doubt that she can win that match and even take out the likes of Roland Garros champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals, should she face her.

“She has a great amount of potential, considering at her age, to get to the fourth round of the US Open, and to beat Elena and come out and play three sets against me and come out with a win and still have an opportunity to go further in the tournament,” Sharapova said. “Considering she's really young, I certainly think she has a great future ahead of her.”

Lesley Oudin isn't surprised at her daughter's success but didn't expect it to come this early, saying that she thought that Melanie wouldn't begin to threaten the top players until 2010 or 2011.

“All this has come so quickly,” Lesley Oudin said. "I told her, 'You've gone from 70-80 [rankings] range we usually play, to playing the top 10.' We've done this in small steps, and I missed that whole stage!”

While Melanie says that her ability to face down top players is a little surprising, she's not totally shocked, as she's been working toward the goal her whole life.

“I'm playing how I've been wanting to play, how I knew I could play,” she said. “I just haven't been able to do it continually for an entire match. These past matches here, I've been able to keep it up the entire time… I still think I can improve even from today. So hopefully I can just get better.”

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2009-09-05/200909051252194267843.html

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Oudin evaporates Maria
By Matt Cronin
Saturday, September 5, 2009

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GENOCIDE WILL STOP WITH US

Letter - All Is Not Well in Darfur - NYTimes.com

Comments to President Obama:
202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE

No More Empty Promises

"The Most Important Office is That of Private Citizen"
Louis D. Brandeis

Dear President Obama - A letter sent March 12, 2009

Join the Fast for Darfuris

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Websites to learn about Darfur:

By a Darfuri living in the United States of America:
while we wait sudan

The basics about Darfur:
savedarfur.org/pages/primer

www.savedarfur.org

www.stopgenocidenow.org

No More Empty Promises

RAFA NADAL BRIGHTENS THE COURT IN YELLOW SLEEVES

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BRING BACK THE ARMS

U.S. Open - Day 3
Round One - Wednesday - September 2, 2009
Rafael Nadal defeated Richard Gasquet
6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Rafa will play Nicolas Kiefer Friday September 4, 2009
not before 7:00 p.m.

Click my post's title to go to the U.S. Open website where you can watch live for free
See upper right for:
Live Scores
Watch Live
Interactive Draw
Highlights

Links are great across the top of the Home Page:
Scores and Stats - Draws - Schedule - etc.

Round 2 Roger Federer had a challenging match Wednesday in Prime Time (ESPN2) but still defeated Simon Greul


TV Schedule
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/about/tv_us.html

Websites that always have great articles and pictures:
Fan sponsored website:
vamosbrigade.com

The original forum for Rafa's website (before Nike took it over)
www.babolat.com

Pictures of Rafael Nadal Round One Match at the U.S. Open
35 Pictures

Rafa is answering fans' quesitons again:
timesonline.typepad.com/rafael_nadal

Send questions to rafa@timesonline.co.uk

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after his defeat against Richard Gasquet of France during day three of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2, 2009 in Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images North America
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Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Richard Gasquet of France during day three of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2, 2009 in Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images North America

Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal
Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

John McEnroe and Rafa Nadal

Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

18 pictures of August 26, 2009 ~ the Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and John McEnroe Challenge on the streets of Manhattan on August 26, 2009 in New York City: www.zimbio

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GENOCIDE WILL STOP WITH US

Comments to President Obama:
202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE

No More Empty Promises

"The Most Important Office is That of Private Citizen"
Louis D. Brandeis

Dear President Obama - A letter sent March 12, 2009

Join the Fast for Darfuris

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Websites to learn about Darfur:

By a Darfuri living in the United States of America:
while we wait sudan

The basics about Darfur:
savedarfur.org/pages/primer

www.savedarfur.org

www.stopgenocidenow.org