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WIMBLEDON

June 29, 2009

Melanie Oudin

LONDON, ENGLAND

A. RADWANSKA/M. Oudin
6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. We have Melanie Oudin. First question, please.

Q. What was the difference in the match, in your mind?
MELANIE OUDIN: Today, I mean, uhm, I gave everything I had, and she played a really good match today. She played very smart. She made me run as much as she possibly could.
And, uhm, you know, I mean, her dropshots were really good. She's a very smart player. I like the way she plays. Very crafty. Has a lot of different shots. Plays very good defense. My hat's off to her. Pretty good match.

Q. Talk about that drop lob combo.
MELANIE OUDIN: I did well getting to almost all the dropshots. But when I got there, she just came up with a really good shot.

Q. Did you feel like maybe you were getting a little bit tired? That was your seventh match basically.
MELANIE OUDIN: Right, yeah, I mean, it was hot out there today, and I was definitely -- my body was feeling it a little bit. Uhm, but, you know, I thought I played a good match, too. And, you know, I tried hard. I mean, I it was good.

Q. Is it too soon to reflect on it at all?
MELANIE OUDIN: Uhm, not really. I mean, I'm like disappointed that I lost today. But, I mean, I'm very proud of myself how I did here. And, uhm, you know, I think it's just like another step that I'm taking. Now I know that I can play with these girls and this is what I want to do and this is what I want to be.

Q. Last round I asked you on a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 is complete reality and 10 is a fantasy and a dream, where does this Wimbledon come in?
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, uhm, right now I'm actually, like, in the middle of it. So I don't really have an exact number for you. Uhm, you know, hopefully one day it will be, you know, after I finish my career, it will be at a 10 because I would have loved it and everything I did.
But right now I'm hoping that it's going to get to a 10 one day.

Q. And how do you think this run will help you for the near future?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think it helps a lot, I mean, with my confidence, knowing now that I, like, believe that I can beat a lot of these girls and I belong here. That's, like, the key thing for me, I think, like, believing that now.

Q. So what's your new goal for the season? You've accomplished one of your goals.
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, yes. My goal was to get top hundred by US Open, so I made that goal. I'm glad. I'm really happy about that.
I haven't really made a new one yet. I was focusing, you know, on this tournament. So now when I get back home I'll probably start thinking about a new one.

Q. What do you think you've learned about yourself, besides that you feel like you belong with these players now, this journey to the fourth round?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yeah, well, I definitely didn't expect it coming into this tournament. My first qualifying match I almost lost it. I was down two match points.
So to come back from that, I'm happy with the way I fought here. I gave everything I had. Uhm, you know, I'm still the same person, you know, coming into the tournament.
I think I've improved this week. I think I've gotten better as a player. Uhm, but I'm just looking forward to keep going.

Q. This time last year you lost to Laura Robson. Fast forward 12 months. You're in the second week of Wimbledon and she went out in the first round. Is it just age that's made the difference and made you able to compete with the older women, or is it something, some drive that you have that Laura perhaps doesn't have yet?
MELANIE OUDIN: I think experience is definitely a key thing. I've played more matches than Laura. And, yes, I think that helps a lot, just like a lot of the other girls. I mean, like Radwanska today, she played more matches than me. I think that gave her a little bit of an edge.
I know Laura has been playing well lately. I've heard about her. She's working hard. And I'm working hard, too. So I'm sure she'll be up there one day.

Q. Is it simply the number of games that you've played at that level, whatever age, or do you think you benefited from waiting till this year to really sort of attack the senior circuit?
MELANIE OUDIN: Uhm, no. I mean, I think that -- I think experience does have -- I mean, it helps a lot, you know. But, I mean, different people do well at different ages. I don't think there's really like a set age where you're really going to do well. So it just depends on like when you start, like when it starts clicking for you, I guess.

Q. There are lots of social calls on young girls, et cetera. How easy is it to get from being a talented 15-year-old to being a talented 18-, 19, 20-year-old?
MELANIE OUDIN: How easy is it?

Q. With other pulls on your time, other interests that suddenly come in as you get older.
MELANIE OUDIN: Well, I mean, I think if you really, like, want this and this is your dream, then I don't think anything will distract you. I mean, like, this is my goal. So, I mean, there's different things, you know, that I've wanted to do.
But this is so worth it for me. This is what I've always wanted.

Q. If you went home and had a homeschool exam that started off saying, Choose one word to sum up your Wimbledon experience, what word would you choose?
MELANIE OUDIN: Probably amazing, because, I mean, I've just loved it. I mean, from the beginning, since I got here to now. Even losing today, I think that I've learned a lot from this experience and I'm just going to, you know, keep working hard and keep going.

Q. You said the other day most of your friends were down in the juniors. Obviously you're not going to be playing that. Are you going to miss that kind of camaraderie? It's different obviously up here.
MELANIE OUDIN: Yeah, I definitely miss -- I have a lot of friends from the juniors. But, uhm, you know, I'm getting to know more players on the tour and feel are more comfortable.
Hopefully staying longer in these tournaments, like this tournament. So, uhm, yeah, I'm hoping I'll make new friends and stuff here. I'll still have friends from the juniors. Hopefully they'll be coming up to the pros sometime soon.

Q. Anybody come in today to the match, fly in for the match?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, both my parents came. I was very happy they got to see me here.

Q. On the set point in the first set, do you think you should have taken that as an overhead, the high backhand volley? Was that possible, or...
MELANIE OUDIN: Probably. I mean, but I had the backhand, too, I thought. I don't know, I mean, a lot of stuff -- I mean, an ad point, it could have -- oh, it's okay. I mean, I almost made it. It was close, but...

Q. What will you plan to do this evening with your parents?
MELANIE OUDIN: This evening? Probably, uhm, you know, I haven't seen my parents in two weeks, so probably catch up with them. We'll probably go eat somewhere and celebrate that, you know, I made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon, so...

Q. Did you start to feel noise around you more as the weekend went on after you beat Jankovic and so on?
MELANIE OUDIN: Yes, I think I gained a lot of fans here. A lot of people were cheering for me, so I thought that was pretty nice.

Q. Very hefty payday obviously. Are you going to stick with your Toyota?
MELANIE OUDIN: I love my 4Runner. I'm sticking with it. I was so proud I actually bought my first car, so I'm definitely sticking with it. For now, at least.

Q. How close were you to playing in the junior Wimbledon this year?
MELANIE OUDIN: No, not really. In the beginning of the year I was thinking about maybe like playing a junior Grand Slam, but not really. I think that moving forward, that would be, like, maybe taking a step back. I want to keep working.
Even if I'm losing some in the pros, I'd rather, you know, keep playing here.

End of FastScripts

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