 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 05 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |
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| 04 Sep 2008 - New York - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Williams leads US trio into quarters |
 An Interview with Rhyne Williams (MP3 format)
An Interview with Melanie Oudin after reaching quarters (MP3 format)
 
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Rhyne Williams lead the American charge into the US Open quarter-finals on Thursday after knocking out compatriot Ryan Harrison 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 to join fellow Americans Devin Britton and Chase Buchanan in the last eight of their home grand slam. It is already proving to be a successful week for the USA’s girls too after Melanie Oudin and Madison Brengle set up an all-American quarter-final. Gail Brodsky and Coco Vandeweghe joined Oudin and Brengle in the quarter-finals.
“In the past he’s played excellent and I really don’t like playing him,” said Williams of his tussle with Harrison. “I don’t know if it’s a mental block or what. Today I just fought really hard and somehow won. I just found a way. I think every time we play it’s going to be battle. I guess it’s a breakthrough but all matches against him are tough. I do like the courts here and I like that you get new balls every seven games, which helps my serve. My new coach Jeff Morrison and I have worked on some stuff in Kentucky and a lot of that work is paying off now. I just kind of gutted it out but in some ways I wish I’d won more quickly and saved my legs a bit. Everything hurts so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.“
Williams, who plays top seed Tsung-Hua Yang of Chinese Taipei next, put on a battling display during the long match against Harrison but he did raise himself to hit one barnstorming shot between his legs to leave Harrison stranded. “It was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit for sure,” said Williams. “I practice the ‘tweener’ a lot and I’ve only ever hit one clean winner on it. I think I got a bit lucky with that one.”
Oudin must be getting used to playing Americans. She beat her doubles partner Asia Muhammad 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday to set up a quarter-final meeting with Brengle, whom she has never played before. Oudin admitted that playing Muhammad had been a tough mental challenge for her. “I definitely was trying not to think about the fact that it was Asia on the other side of the net today,” said Oudin.
“I tried to focus on my own game and that worked for me. It’s an advantage because I’ve been hitting with her the last two weeks so I definitely know some strengths and weaknesses of hers and I could read her serve a bit better but she still could have come out and played a totally different game against me. I ended up reading her well. I got killed by her last time, 2 and 3 and today I was really focused and wanted to stay ahead of her. She definitely didn’t play her best tennis but I think I put a lot of pressure on her today and that’s why she was missing a lot more than she did last time.”
Also moving through to the quarterfinals were Kristine Mladenovic, Tamaryn Hendler, Elena Bogdan and Gabriela Paz Franco.
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