Oudin and Ginepri – Play Off to Begin for US Competition for Australian Open Wild Card

Written by: Staff on 14th December 2011

Oudin and Ginepri - Play Off to Begin for US Competition for Australian Open Wild Card |

Americans Melanie Oudin and Robby Ginepri will try to recapture at least a shred of past glories as the pair lead the field for the weekend playoffs in the US for a wild card spot in next month’s Australian Open.

Under an exchange agreement between the two federations, the winners of men’s and women’s competition earn a place in the main draw field in Melbourne from January 16,

Oudin, who looked like making a breakthrough more than two years ago as she rocketed to a US Open quarter-final and then promptly faded from the scene, will be on home ground in Atlanta, as will Ginepri, who also lives in the area.

Oudin, aged 20 and ranked 165th on the WTA, helped lead the US to consecutive Fed Cup finals in 2009-2010, reached a Paris Indoor semi-final in February, 2010, before her game collapsed. She suffered 13 first-round defeats in a 2011 to forget.

Ginepri once reached the US Open semis in 2005 and owns three career trophies, the last earned in 2009. The No. 314 played only one major in 2011, winning a round in New York before losing to John Isner.

The event in Atlanta is being held for the third consecutive year in the southern city, a tennis hotbed in the US.

Competing along with Oudin will be Coco Vandeweghe, who played the main draw of all four majors in 0211 and won the wild card play off in 2009. The men’s field includes 2010 US Open boys’ champion Jack Sock, and journeyman Bobby Reynolds.

Topics: Melanie Oudin, Robby Ginepri