5 Fun Facts About Melanie Oudin

With American Melanie Oudin’s surprise roll to the US Open quarterfinals capturing the sports world’s imagination, Chris Chase of Yahoo! Sports lists five facts you should know about the 17-year-old:

• It’s gotta be the shoes: Oudin herself selected the pink-and-yellow look. Maker Adidas earlier said the design wouldn’t be made available to the public—a move it might be rethinking just about now.

• More shoes: Rather than her name, Oudin had “BELIEVE” put on the heels of her kicks.
• Shoes, part III: That idea was from her 15-year-old boyfriend.
• Help from above: The folks running the PA system played the Cher tune Believe after Oudin’s victory today.
• The Russia connection: Unseeded Oudin has beaten a Russian in each round so far, but won’t get a chance Wednesday, with No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark having ousted sixth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in a late match today.

(More US Open Tennis stories.)