(Sports Network) - Young American Melanie Oudin stunned former runner-up Elena Dementieva and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova upended last year's runner-up Jelena Jankovic in second-round action Thursday at the U.S. Open. World No. 1 Dinara Safina managed to avoid an upset to reach the third round here.

The 17-year-old Oudin shocked the fourth-seeded Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in a high-quality second-round affair at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Dementieva barely snuck out the first set against the gritty Oudin, who simply played better tennis than her Russian counterpart on Day 4.

The rising Oudin pulled out the second set with a service break and then went on to claim the third despite being hampered by a sore left leg.

Oudin headed into the match with a wrap on her left thigh, and had the leg re- wrapped early in the final set.

The American broke Dementieva to grab a 2-0 lead in the third and was leading 3-1 in the set when she broke down in tears on the court after experiencing some sharp pain in her leg in the fifth game. Dementieva broke to win that game, but a gutsy Oudin broke right back for a 4-2 advantage, then held for a commanding 5-2 lead, and then held in the ninth game of the stanza to record the biggest win of her blossoming career. She beat Jankovic in the third round at Wimbledon this year.

"This was pretty big, too," said Oudin. "So was against Jankovic at Wimbledon. I think it means more to me, though, since this is the U.S. Open. I had the whole crowd cheering for me, so much support. I was struggling a little with my leg. The whole thing was just amazing. I can't believe I won."

Oudin, a Georgia native, converted on a third match point when Dementieva was unable to return a big serve from the American after 2 hours, 45 minutes of play. The Russian saved a pair of match points with a backhand winner and forehand volley winner.

Dementieva wound up with nine double faults and had her suspect serve broken seven times. Oudin moved on despite being broken six times and tallying 44 unforced errors.

The reigning Olympic gold medalist Dementieva is a two-time major runner-up, including a trip into the U.S. Open final back in 2004. She entered this particular fortnight as the hottest player on the women's tour, having won the US Open Series points title heading into this great American sporting event.

"For sure it is disappointing," said Dementieva. "I was really hoping to play well here, but just didn't feel the way I should feel about the match today. Maybe I overplayed a bit in the summer. But I think she played really well. She was very positive and going for the shots, going for the winners. It just was a very solid game from her."

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Shvedova, ranked 55th in the world, knocked out the fifth-seeded Jankovic in 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6) fashion, also at Ashe Stadium.

Shvedova pulled off the upset in 2 hours, 40 minutes with the help of eight service breaks, compared to six for Jankovic, who lost to Serena Williams in last year's finale here.

The French Open and Australian Open runner-up Safina dropped the first set against German Kristina Barrois before charging back for a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3 decision at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center.

Safina advanced in 2 hours, 13 minutes despite piling up 15 double faults and 38 unforced errors. Fortunately for the big Russian, she was able to break Barrois' weak serve on eight occasions.

The 23-year-old Safina also needed all three sets to sneak past Aussie teenager Olivia Rogowska here on Tuesday.

"Another tough day in the office. Another day off tomorrow and another match on Saturday," said Safina, whose third-round opponent will be a another non- seed, Czech Petra Kvitova, an easy 6-1, 6-3 victor against Italian Tathiana Garbin.

In the late matches, sixth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and 29th-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova emerged victorious. Kuznetsova needed just over an hour to post a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Latvian Anastasija Sevastova. Sharapova, the 2006 champion here, downed American Christina McHale, 6-2, 6-1. Sharapova will face Oudin in round three.

In the lone unranked battle, Israel's Shahar Peer had an easy time with Carla Suarez Navarro, dismissing the Spaniard 6-2, 6-0.

Ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki stayed hot with a 6-1, 6-0 dismantling of Croat Petra Martic. The 19-year-old Wozniacki is fresh off her hardcourt title in New Haven last week.

Up next for Wozniacki will be rising Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Thirteenth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova moved on with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Frenchwoman Julie Coin, while 21st-seeded Chinese Zheng Jie came back to best France's Alize Cornet 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 and a 24th-seeded Cirstea held off Canadian Stephanie Dubois 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Mild upsets came when Italian Sara Errani erased 19th-seeded struggling Swiss Patty Schnyder 7-5, 6-2, Russian Anastasia Rodionova topped 23rd-seeded German Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, and Argentine Gisela Dulko drubbed 30th-seeded Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 6-0. Lisicki rolled over on her left ankle on match point against the victorious Rodionova and was taken of the court via wheelchair.

In other second-round play, Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko blitzed American Shenay Perry 6-1, 6-1 and Belgian Yanina Wickmayer downed Chinese Peng Shuai 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Third-round play commences Friday with the Williams sisters in action. Second- seeded Serena, the defending and three-time champion, faces Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. Venus, seeded third and a two-time champion here, will be taking the court for the night session as she battles Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova.

Unseeded Kim Clijsters, who returend to the WTA Tour just last month after retiring in the spring of 2007, plays Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens.

This year's U.S. Open champion will collect at least $1.6 million.



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