Oudin Ousts Sharapova

Young American hope Melanie Oudin kept her Cinderella run going at her home Grand Slam on Saturday, knocking off her second straight seeded player as the third round came to a conclusion.

Oudin, just 17 and America's third-highest ranked player behind the Williams sisters, diffused No.29 seed Maria Sharapova's powerful groundstrokes with sharp retrieving and hit 22 winners of her own - mainly off her forehand - to pull off a comeback victory, 36 64 75, in two hours and 58 minutes.

"Getting to play Maria today was an unbelievable experience for me. She's such a great competitor, a great player. I just had a blast," Oudin said. "I learned, once again, that I can compete with these top girls. And if I believe in myself and in my game, I can beat them. Everything is just coming together."

This isn't the first time Oudin has brought her best tennis to a big stage. Earlier in the summer at Wimbledon she qualified and made it all the way to the fourth round, beating her first Top 10 player - Jelena Jankovic - along the way. Now she's into the fourth round for a second straight major.

Oudin had taken out No.4 seed Elena Dementieva in the second round, as well. Sharapova, who hit 63 errors to just 30 winners, was gracious.

"She played really well. She has many weapons. She certainly held her ground. It wasn't my best day, but I've got to hand it to her," Sharapova said. "She has a great amount of potential considering, at her age, she is in the fourth round of the US Open, beat Elena and came out and played three sets against me and got the win. I certainly think she has a great future ahead of her."

Next up for Oudin will be No.13 seed Nadia Petrova, who beat No.21 seed Zheng Jie, 64 61. Petrova had lost her last four matches of the summer before coming here; now she is in the second week of the US Open for the fourth time, her best showings being the quarters in 2004 and 2005.

Other winners in the day session included No.6 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Shahar Peer, 75 61; No.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki, who beat No.24 seed Sorana Cirstea, 63 62; Gisela Dulko, who beat Yaroslava Shvedova, 63 64; Yanina Wickmayer, who beat Sara Errani, 63 64; and Kateryna Bondarenko, who edged qualifier Anastasia Rodionova, 76(4) 64.

The biggest surprise was saved for the night session as Petra Kvitova, ranked No.72 in the world, stunned world No.1 and top seed Dinara Safina in a nail-biter, 64 26 76(5). Safina held three match points but Kvitova saved them all and edged her for her second Top 10 win, following a win over Venus Williams.

"It's disappointing. Very disappointing. I came back in the second set, winning six games in a row, playing so well, so solid. And in the third set I came back again," Safina said. "She definitely played well. I still feel I let it go."