When beautiful 19-year old Victoria Azarenka wins the 2009 Wimbledon Championship, she will have prevailed over the most difficult draw in women’s tennis history. There, I have said it. I have said that Victoria will prevail and win the championship. I have said the draw was stacked against her.

You might remember that I also said Melanie Oudin would be Wimbledon’s Cinderella. She was. But, Victoria Azarenka is not too far behind. When she hoists the silverware, she will have earned the right, believe me.

Many of the Brits do not like Victoria. She grunts, groans and moans her way through points and matches. Apparently, these Brits are unfamiliar with LaMaze. Women’s tennis today sounds like a maternity ward. But, that’s the way it is. It is far easier to count the touring non-grunters than to count the grunters.

As Victoria recently said, “I have been doing it since I was 10 years old. I wasn’t really strong and that was what helped me to accelerate more, to put more power to the ball.” You know what, Victoria, if it works for you, it works for me. But, please don’t do it when you hoist the Championship Trophy.

On a day where my other Cinderella, Melanie Oudin, succumbed to the effects of too much media, too much hype and forgot that this was another match against another girl that she could beat, Victoria Azarenka overcame a very stubborn Nadia Petrova in three tense sets.

On a day where Venus beat Ana into submission and where Serena lost just four games and where the surprising Elena Dementieva looks ready to snap out of her slump and move past Elena Vesnina, Victoria Azarenka was out there a long time, working hard, hitting one gorgeous drive after another and moving gracefully across the court. We were blessed to see her play.

And, Nadia Petrova had it working. The Russian 10 seed, served powerfully, hit beautiful shots of her own and used a devastating drop shot to counter every move Victoria made. Victoria was soon grunting and surging, groaning and reaching and winning.

You may remember that Victoria had Venus on the ropes at Melbourne before all sorts of unusual things happened. You may remember that Victoria reached the quarters at Roland Garros. You may forget that she is a very nice, very elegant 19-year old. She is, trust me. You would like to have her over for dinner.

She is also trying to fend off a well-traveled group of American and Russian hierarchy. The Brits have made sure it was a full time job. In the 3rd round, she drew the testy Sorana Cirstea, of Paris fame, today Petrova, tomorrow Serena, Thursday Elena and most likely Venus in the finals. Wow! Could it be any more difficult?

Take for example Dinara Safina. She overcame hard playing Amelie Mauresemo and now plays Sabine Lisicki. Dinara may choke again, but could it be an easier?

Venus draws Odin conquerer, Aggie Radwanska, who I am sure is very pleasant despite not being welcome at my house anymore. Elena, who has yet to lose a set and is quietly and quickly moving through the draw plays unseeded Francesca Schiavone. Elena has some choking issues of her own, but really how does that happen? How are all these talents at the bottom of the draw sheet?

Hey, if you looked at Victoria’s draw, you would grunt and groan too. So, instead of being a typical tennis frontrunner, come on over to the world of Victoria Azarenka and see how it is in the real world of a non-prima donna tennis champion. You see that is what Azarenka is all about. That is why she has so many fans. She is a hard-working, grind-it-out player that leaves nothing on the court. When Victoria walks off the court, she is spent, emotionally and physically.

After Azarenka took the first set from Petrova in a tiebreaker, Nadia needed a timeout to get some ice on her legs and have her blood pressure checked. These things happen when it is going well for Azarenka.

Petrova recovered. You knew she would. She stormed through the second set at 6-2. The Russian’s serve was dominant and it looked like the cooled off Azarenka would not avenge last year’s loss.

In the third set, there were five breaks but Victoria captured the key one at 4-3. In the final three games, Victoria lost just three points. Yes, she groaned, yes she grunted and yes she played like a champions for 2 hours and 35 minutes in the grueling heat.

Victoria Azarenka, your time has come. Remmeber what you did to Serena in Key Biscayne this year. Take no prisoners. Play like a champion and grunt as loud as you like. You are the best!

If you are like me, the Ladies event has been gorgeous. Wonderfully athletic young ladies playing a beautiful game. I marvel at their athleticism, their competitiveness and their fitness. This Wimbledon has had the best of everything. This Wimbledon has elevated women’s tennis, bringing remembrances of eras past.

Great work, ladies.

Now, get back in those whites, pull your hair together, stretch those aching legs, get ready to run, dive, turn through the ball and chase every shot down. If you are going to move on, contest every point, hold nothing back. There is today and nothing else. Be in the moment when you begin and do not see, hear, think anything else.

That is what the Williams sisters are doing. They are getting ready for week two. The Williams women know that the easy part is past. It starts on Sunday. Every player in the final 16, deserve to be there. If you slip against one of these dolls, you can book that flight.

Get in the game, get in the moment and make it to the quarters. Nothing else matters.

Safina – Mauresmo – France’s Amelie Mauresmo registered a big win over Flavia Pennetta to get this far. Amelie will have her hands full with Dinara, who is still flying under the radar and has not lost a set. Safina said this was not her favorite surface. The bookmakers agree. Safina gets past her nerves and prevails.

Wozniacki – Lisicki – What a win for Sabine Lisicki. The German took it right to French Open Champ Svetlana Kuznetsova with a 6-2, 7-5 drubbing. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki looks good. Since losing the first set of the week, she has only lost 12 games. Wozniacki wins.

Venus – Ivanovic – A throwback match. When Ana arrived last year, she was number one. The bookmakers like Venus as a solid second choice to win the crown. Ivanovic chalked up a solid win over tough Samantha Stosur and should be more confident than at the year’s earlier Grand Slams. Ana will show up at this one, but Venus has too much of everything and a120 mph serve helps.

Radwanska – Oudin – 11th seed Radwanska is the clear favorite. If Melanie Oudin gets any sleep, it will be restless. The Georgia peach has energy. If she does not let the moment overwhelm her, this is a winnable match for Oudin. We like her chances but make no play here.

Razzano – Schiavone – Razzano wins in walkover. Zvonareva is gone. Schiavone has good win over Bartoli. Schiavone struggled early in the tourney. We like Razzano in a close one.

Vesnina – Dementieva – Elena finally does it. Vesnina outlasted little Cibulkova, but Elena is a bird of a different feather. Elena can see the semis. She comes out gunning and cruises in this one.

Azarenka – Petrova – The match of the day. Two hard hitting top players. Petrova beats tough Gisela Dulko, Sharapova’s conqueror, in three sets. Azarenka is playing as well as anyone. We like her to go all the way. She may stumble here but it will be momentary.

Hantuchova – Serena – Daniela had trouble with Laura Robson. Are you kidding? Batten the hatches. You can take this to the bank. Serena in a duck shoot and off the court in less than 90 minutes.

All top four seeds are still playing. Kuznetsova (5), Jankovic (6), Zvonareva (7) are out. Unseeded Oudin, Hantuchova, Vesnina, Schiavone and Lisicki are still kicking. Big changes in the rankings will give the U.S. Open a different look.

What a day ahead. Enjoy!

Ms. Jankovic, I warned you. If you come to play Ms. Melanie Oudin, pack your bags. Miss Oudin does not go away. She makes you run, across the court, then forward, then backward, then forward again. One set with Melanie felt like a lifetime for Ms. Jankovic, once the top player in the world and ranked 127 places higher than our little American sugarplum. Not any longer.

The twosome teed it up at the same time Ana started with Samantha. That match ended. Then, Venus began. That match ended. Little Melanie and Jelena were still going at it over there on Court 3 where there were lots of ooohs and aaahs. The air was heavy, the temperature scorching, but a hot day at Wimbledon is a cool day in Marietta Georgia.

I think she perspired in the 4th game of the third set. It was hard to tell. The former number one needed a 13-minute strategic layover between set one and set two.

That bothered our little lioness a bit, just as Jankovic knew it would. Jelena took the maximum amount of time between points, fumbling with ball exchanges, slowing things down. She stretched the umpire’s patience, the commentator’s patience and the nerves of the little lioness.

Welcome to the Big Leagues, little lioness. Welcome to the world of professional gamesmanship. We hope you never have to resort to that. Shoot from the hip and play from the heart. That is what got you here. That is what won for you today, in the biggest match of you life.

On Day Six at Wimbledon, a 17-year old American High School student, Melanie Oudin, knocked off the former number one player in the world in three sets, 6-7 (10), 7-5, 6-2. Jelena Jankovic forgot to pack her bags. The six seed is gone!

Stretched to the quick, Jankovic not only took a 13-minute timeout, she stalled by complaining about everything from line calls to ballboys and ballgirls. For Melanie Oudin, it was another match, another girl.

Melanie Oudin has the highest ranking of any surviving woman. She is the only player in the event who has won six matches. That’s right six. Of course when you are ranked 133, you have to qualify. Melanie is now one of the last 16 players to survive the pressures, heat, crowds and media coverage at this Wimbledon event. And, she has jumped way up in the rankings and on the visibility scene.

I warned you. This pocket rocket has plenty of game. Granted, her serve is suspect. Wait until next year. What she has is an array of accomplished shots. Melanie unloaded baseline drop shots that left Jankovic standing still wondering what she had just seen. Melanie retrieved balls that Jankovic thought were winners. The Serb’s shoulders her kept shrugging. Perhaps, that is why her neck was bothering her.

Court 3 was unfamiliar territory for the play-in. It was like home for Jelena. It soon became Melanie’s home and her favorite court in all the world. Today, Court 3 was where Rocky Balboa overcame Apollo Creed. What a slugfest! Three grueling, intense hours of heavyweight competition. Our little 5 foot 5 inch fireball just kept firing away.

In a match where the players played aggressively when behind, they played tentatively when ahead. The emotional swings were powerful and nerve-wracking. In set one, Melanie had the set in control, but Jankovic’s experience showed through.

Jelena began to land her serves and pressured the young American. Pundits will say that Melanie had nothing to lose, that she was free of pressure. Those pundits do not really understand Melanie Oudin. This girl plays to win every point in every match. Her view is not of the match, it is of the next point.

And make no mistake about it. Melanie has a head for tennis, knows her strengths and weaknesses and plays her game. With Melanie, it is not about pressure, it is about flawless execution. Melanie builds points. She runs opponents across the court, makes them move and simply gets to every ball.

Melanie is about disguising her baseline backhand and suddenly dropping her left hand and deftly executing the most devastating drop shot in the game. It is the joy of doing it right. It is the joy of seeing the admiration in your paralyzed opponent, who shrugs and complains of dizziness, or accosts the ballgirl. Hey, let’s play tennis!

In set two, trailing 4-5, 15-30, Melanie Oudin should have been nervous. She was on the ropes. Then, “the another match, another girl” mentality kicked in. She hit a baseline heart-stopping drop shot that just cleared the net and left Jankovic shaking her baseline head. You could see, she wanted no more of this silly play from this little girl. After all, this is Wimbledon, not Marietta, Georgia. Melanie blasted two winners and it was 5 –5, but it was more than that.

At 5-5, 15-30, Melanie Oudin (oo-dan) chased down a Jankovic drop shot and tidily deposited it beyond reach. She then hit a spectacularly deft half volley. Jankovic stalled but pulled to 40-40.

The match and momentum were on the line. With Oudin, it is not about the pressure, it is about flawless execution. Bing! A stunning crowd-cheering drop shot. Jankovic stared. Then, a cross court, angled backhand and it was 6-5!

Jankovic jumped on nervous serves. A double fault. It was 15-30. Melanie was on the attack. A booming forehand winner squared the game. Oudin finished the set (7-5) with two stellar forehands.

They sat on their chairs. One player wanted to get back out there. The other saw replays of recent performances. She was on the ropes, and the lioness knew it.

First game third set. Melanie fought off 7 game points. That’s right 7 game points. You could feel it. Melanie Oudin refused to lose. She captured an add with another courageous drop shot. She converted to go up 1-0.

In your heart, you knew this match was over! Melanie held for 2-0. Jankovic held, 2-1. Melanie held, broke to go 4-1. Jelena held, 4-2, Melanie held, 5-2. Points were now getting shorter. Jelena had had enough.

The lioness prevailed at game 8 for a 6-2 win. It was the biggest match, the biggest win of a very new career. As Patrick McEnroe said, “it was a huge win for American women’s tennis.” Melanie Oudin learned how to win big matches today. And, she is in the Big Leagues to stay.

Now, little lady, Will you marry my son? Will you be content? You are one of the 16 best grass court players at Wimbledon 2009. Prove it! Beat either Agnes Radwanska or Na Li. Do not be happy to be where you are. This was big, but not the goal. On Monday, another girl, another match.

Chase down every ball, hit another 38 outright winners and do not be tentative when ahead. You know what Melanie? We came to see you play. So, play on, baby, play on!

Daniela Hantuchova set up a last-16 clash with Serena Williams by beating her doubles partner Ai Sugiyama 6-4 6-3 in the third round on Friday.

Hantuchova is ranked number 32 in the world but is a former top five player and looks to be on her way back up the WTA rankings as she dispatched her counterpart in just 1 hour 36 minutes on Court 18.

The Slovak’s reward is a difficult 4th round tie against two-time Wimbledon Queen Serena Williams who earlier in the day brushed aside Roberta Vinci in two untroubled straight sets.

Sugiyama and Hantuchova, who have won three doubles titles together, resume their partnership when the sixth seeds face Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova in the second round of the women’s doubles tournament.

The Japanese world number 38 will surely hold no hard feelings over the loss as she was well and truly outclassed by the rejuvenated Slovakian.

Despite the seemingly coasted victory, Hantuchova had her work cut out early in the first set as Sugiyama broke her serve in the very first game and led 40-0 in the eighth game as she looked to be edging towards the first set.

However, the 26-year-old Slovak showed just why she has caught the punter’s eyes again in this tournament as she overturned the 40-0 deficit to break back and even out the contest.

That break proved to be the turning point of the match as Hantuchova, galvanised by the four straight points which saved the set, upped her game to take full control by holding serve and then breaking her opponent to take the first set 6-4.

It only took until only the second game for the first break of the second set as The Slovak frustrated her opponent into gifting the breakthrough. However, the gift was short last as the 33-year-old Japanese number one bit back immediately with a break of her own before holding serve to take the second set score to 2-2.

Hantuchova then began to dominate proceedings as she edged two games in front once more by holding serve and following that up with another break, restoring her two-game advantage.

At 4-2 up, the Slovak held serve once more despite being pegged back to deuce which left Sugiyama serving to stay in the match, which she managed to her credit.

At 5-3 Hantuchova was the overwhelming favourite at this stage and although her Japanese opponent took her to deuce yet again, she was unable to cope with the Slovak’s improving serve and lost the match point with a wild return of serve.

The pair’s head to head record now reads 6-5 in favour of the 33-year-old Japanese veteran who had won the previous two meetings between the pair. Given Sugiyama’s unfavourable age, this may yet be the final meeting between the two.

Given Hantuchova’s next opponent is world number 2, yet self proclaimed number one, her odds of winning the tournament still give her little chance at around 100/1. She will no doubt prove to be Serena’s toughest opponent so far at Wimbledon, but whether the pretty Slovak has the power to overturn the American is a different matter.

Melanie Oudin - New Tennis Superstar

We have waited a longtime for a day like this. We have waited an eternity for a Grand Slam event like this. We do not mind that the Brits took our precious 5 foot 5 inch bundle of joy and put her on Court Six in the last singles match of the day. Not one bit! In fact, thank you! What a delight! What a perfect end to a spectacular day of American tennis. Wow!

Our little fireplug, our never-say-die Justine Henin emulator, Miss Melanie Oudin (oo-dan) did it again. On the main draw, it will say that Melanie Oudin, our new teenage superstar from Georgia, defeated Kazakhstan’s 21-year old Yaraslova Shvedova in three hard-fought, endless sets 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Over there on Court Six it was nail-biting time. Remember this little Southern sugarplum has to play her way in to the main draw. Melanie is already in her second week. Two weeks of pounding the grass, diving for balls, chasing everything down and winning.

That’s right, that’s the best part, winning. After her three qualifying wins, she has now racked up 2 main draw wins at the oldest tournament in the world. She is the youngest player still standing. That’s our Melanie. And, we are not letting go of her, not for one second. Frankly, we would like all you media types to leave her alone. We know what you are up to. We don’t blame you. She is after all, our Horatio Alger, our Silky Sullivan, our very special dream-come-true. We’ve been patient. We have waited, and waited and waited. And, now she has arrived.

Of course, we told you she would. You may recall that before this event began, before you knew her name was pronounced oo-dan, we picked her to surprise at Wimbledon 2009. We are darn proud of it, too. We will not let you forget. We have not had anything like this in a long time. Melanie is a very good tennis player. One day, she will be a great champion. But, what she is most of all, is hope. Thank you Miss Oudin. Will you marry my son?

Earlier this years, U.S. team captain Mary Joe Fernandez needed help for her U.S. Federation Cup team. She wanted a young player. In the U.S. there are only two players in the top ten under the age of 20. Fernandez selected Oudin, who jumped at the chance to represent her country. With the U.S. trailing 1-2, she faced Argentina’s savvy veteran Betina Jozami who blew Melanie away in set one. Melanie had a quick talk with herself.

“I kept telling myself after that first set that this time this was just another match, another match against another girl. The less I thought about the circumstances, the better I played.” Melanie came out blazing. She blasted Jozami off the court 6-1, 6-2 in the final sets to claim the match. Fernandez liked what she saw. “That kind of determination is good to see from a young player.”

That is the type performance, the kind of determination that enabled the petite American Dreamboat to overcome that first set thrashing today. Instead of seeing and feeling Wimbledon, she suddenly got that old feeling, the dangerous one. The one that says this is another match against another girl. That is how she came out firing in set two, storming to a convincing 6-2 reversal in set two. And, she fired away at the beginning of set three. Melanie carried that second set momentum to a quick 3-0 lead. Bit, this was too easy. It must be harder. It was.

Yaraslova mixed in some courageous shots, a few outright winners and an ace or two to get to 2-4. Then, she did the unthinkable. She broke our little lady. This was a long, hard game, filled with tension. Yaroslava fought off two game points. Melanie fought off one. At one point it appeared she had won the game, but a line call was overturned and the emotion swung across the net. Suddenly the momentum was changing and changing fast. At 3-4, Yaroslava held to pull even. Melanie was starting to commit unforced errors. This, our baby does not do. Okay, I’ll bite my nails, you pull yourself together. That is what you do. And, she did.

But, Yaroslava was pretty together too. And, she’s a little bigger than our baby. No matter. Melanie does not overpower you. She just wears you down with that searing forehand and that relentless effort. She simply stopped making mistakes. No more unforced errors. If you are going to beat Melanie, pack a bag. She does not go away. Don’t you love her!

At 4-4 , she fought off one break point. The rallies were getting longer and longer. It was taking a toll on Yaroslava. Not, on our bumblebee. Finally, she powered a forehand down the line and took a 5—4 lead. Yaroslava knew what was coming. One shot after another. Everything she threw across came back. It wasn’t always pretty, it wasn’t always powerful, but they all came back. Suddenly it was 0-40. Triple set point. Then, it was 15-40. Okay.

Then 30-40. Oh well.

Then, it was 6-4 and little Melanie Oudin will be playing former world number one Jelena Jankovic in round three. Now, how did Henin do with Jelena?

2 hours 12 minutes of bliss! Way to go you Georgia Sugar Plum!