The Rising Star of Women's Tennis

I have always said that men's tennis was infinitely more interesting than watching the ladies play. Maybe there was a day when they were equally enjoyable, but now that the final match is usually a question of "Serena or Venus?" the sport has lost its hold on me. That was until this year, however. In a strange twist of fate the men's section has become the predictable one with Roger Federer's dominance of play, while the ladies draw has me waiting with anticipation to see who will make the finals. Kim Clijsters continues to make her bid at reclaiming the title with her family supporting her every step of the way. Meanwhile, a new star has come across my path: Melanie Oudin. Her fourth round victory over Nadia Petrova put her in the Quarterfinals, and she's only seventeen. To get to her match with Petrova she also had to beat Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva, all matches that were with tough opponents and went to three sets. This is one girl you don't want to mess with. If both Clijsters and Oudin can keep this up they may just see each other in the finals. That will be a match I won't want to miss, and neither should you.