Loss on Court Brings A Net Gain for Oudin

WIMBLEDON, England, June 29 -- For many, 17 is an age riddled with self-doubt. But if such emotions have weighed on Melanie Oudin, they are vanquished now.

A 17-year-old Wimbledon qualifier from Marietta, Ga., Oudin left the All England club in defeat Monday. But she carried with her something as valuable as a trophy: the sense of belonging in a world populated by heroes.

She found this truth over the last two weeks on the club's manicured lawns -- first fending off two match points during qualifying to earn a spot in Wimbledon's 128-player main draw; then toppling Jelena Jankovic, the first top-10 player she had ever faced; and, on Monday, finding affirmation, even in a loss to 11th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

"Now I know that I can play with these girls," Oudin said after Radwanska ended the teen's improbable run, 6-4, 7-5, "and [that] this is what I want to do, and this is where I want to be."

Oudin had been the lone bright spot for American tennis fans lamenting their country's waning influence in the game.

As expected, Venus and Serena Williams sailed into the quarterfinals Monday, joined later by Andy Roddick. But with each of them 26 or older, there was reason to take stock of the U.S. tennis pipeline and come away fretting.

Oudin may never rise to No. 1 in the world, as both Williams sisters and Roddick have.

At 5 feet 5, she will never overpower her opponents at the top levels of the game. But she knows her strengths: the speed of a one-time soccer phenom, the grit of the classic overachiever and a mental toughness that is sorely lacking in the women's game.

Against the 20-year-old Radwanska, Oudin bolted to a 3-1 lead in the first set. A sloppy backhand volley, one of her rare errors of judgment, ultimately cost her the set. But she battled on until Radwanska's seasoning and superior fitness separated the two.

"I gave everything I had, and she played a really good match," Oudin said. "She played very smart. She made me run as much as she possibly could."

But the fight was its own reward. And with her parents in the stands, having flown in to watch their daughter battle for a place in Wimbledon's quarterfinals, Oudin said she felt nothing but pride over her effort.

"I gave everything I had," Oudin said. "I think it helps a lot with my confidence -- knowing that I believe that I can beat a lot of these girls and I belong here."

Same Ol' Davis Cup Crew

Patrick McEnroe isn't meddling with the formula that has served him so well as captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, naming Roddick, James Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan to the squad that will take on Croatia July 10-12 on clay in Porec, Croatia.

Since taking over the team in 2001, McEnroe has led the Americans to a 16-7 mark. Croatia, however, is the only country the United States has not beaten in Davis Cup play. The winner of the upcoming tie will face either Argentina or the Czech Republic in the semifinals in September. . . .

Wimbledon officials acknowledged Monday that they had asked a few ball boys and girls to stay home after reporting "flu-like illness" but played down concern over incidence of the swine flu.