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US Open Quarterfinalist to Highlight Tournament’s Historic 10th Year in Charleston, SC
After captivating the world with a fourth round finish at Wimbledon in June, and capturing the hearts of American tennis fans with a quarterfinal run at the US Open in September, the Family Circle Cup is proud to announce that 18-year-old American standout Melanie Oudin from Marietta, Georgia, has officially entered the 2010 Charleston event. Oudin is currently ranked No. 42 in the world, the highest ranking of her career, and she is the No. 3 ranked American on the WTA Tour, behind only Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Marking the tournament’s 38th consecutive year and 10th year in Charleston, the Family Circle Cup, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event, will be held April 10-18, 2010 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in historic Charleston, South Carolina.
“Melanie Oudin is full of charisma, spirit, and an inextinguishable desire to compete against the best players in the world, and we are delighted to see her return to Charleston after her incredible performance at this year’s US Open,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “As the No. 3 ranked American on Tour, Melanie has proven her ability to compete at the highest levels of the game. Considering her prior experience at this event and her strong fan-base in Charleston, she will certainly be a player to watch throughout the Family Circle Cup.”
 Recently marking her 18th birthday on September 23rd, 2009, Melanie Oudin has quickly established a name for herself on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She began her pro career in February, 2008, finishing that season ranked No. 177 in the world. With the majority of her high-profile victories notched throughout the 2009 season, the 5’6” Marietta, Georgia native’s year began with qualifying births in several events, as well as her Fed Cup debut where Oudin won a crucial singles match in the first round of Fed Cup action, helping the United States to secure a 3-2 victory over Argentina in World Group competition.
Oudin’s world ranking has steadily climbed since making her Charleston debut in April of this year where she reached the third round at the Family Circle Cup, widely renowned as “The Tournament Where Stars are Born”.
As the World No. 176 ranked player, she was granted a qualifying wildcard into the Daniel Island event where she notched two victories before entering the main draw, including a win over No. 5 seed Anna Tatishvili. Oudin upset No. 9 seed Aleksandra Wozniak in the second round before posting a valiant effort against No. 6 seed Marion Bartoli on Family Circle Stadium court. With a 2-1 record in Charleston, her best result at a WTA Tour Premier Event, Oudin had made her largest mark on a world stage and rose to World No. 125, the highest ranking at that point in her career.
“The Family Circle Cup is one of my favorite tournaments on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour,” commented Melanie Oudin. “I had such a great experience last year in Charleston, both on and off the court, and I’m really looking forward to returning to Daniel Island in April.”
Oudin participated in four off-court activities where she had an opportunity to interact with tennis patrons during her extended stay in Charleston, helping her to become a fan-favorite in the Holy City. She conducted two autograph signings, a Q&A session with Murphy Jensen on the Grand Lawn, and was a special guest at the USTA’s Member Appreciation Party.
Oudin made her next mark in June at Wimbledon where she arrived as the World No. 124 player and competed in a total of seven matches, including three in qualifying action. She ultimately reached the fourth round, her best Grand Slam result to date, defeating the No. 29 seed Sybille Bammer and No. 6 seed Jelena Jankovic, her first Top 10 win, en route. This result earned her a Top 100 ranking debut at World No. 70, and further solidified her reputation as an up-and-coming American player.
Her new ranking allowed Oudin to begin her now famous 2009 US Open run with a main draw birth in a strong portion of the draw where she notched a string of stunning upsets over No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva, No. 29 seed Maria Sharapova, and No. 13 seed Nadia Petrova before succumbing to 2009 Family Circle Cup finalist and eventual US Open finalist No. 9 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. Oudin’s results attracted the world’s attention and skyrocketed her to the World No. 44 position, making her Top 50 debut, and charging past her previous career high ranking of No. 67.
Oudin holds a career singles win/loss record of 87 – 41, with an impressive 38 – 13 record this year. In addition to her WTA Tour accomplishments, Oudin has also supplemented her resume and bank account with two ITF singles titles this summer at Indian Harbour Beach, FL and Raleigh, NC, adding to her $424,180 in career prize money, with $347,460 to date this year alone. According to her official web site, www.melanieoudin.com, Oudin is next scheduled to compete in the China Open in Beijing, China.
Family Circle Cup ticket packages will be available beginning in late October, and individual ticket sales will begin in January, 2010. Fans are urged to visit familycirclecup.com for continuous updates on ticket information and player commitments as the tournament approaches.
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