We called up Yasuhiro Makoshi, the manager of Restaurant Nippon in Midtown, to find out which players had been dining at the 46-year-old restaurant, one of the first to serve sushi in America, during the Open. The Nippon, due to its proximity to many of the players' hotels and its owner's passion for the game, has become the Rick's Cafe Americain of the tournament.

Ivan Ljubicic, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the first round, told a French Open interviewer in May that it's one of his favorite restaurants in the world: "The owner loves tennis and always gives us special discounts so that loads of players go there [laughs]! He’s a really great guy and always comes to support me in the U.S. Open."

Coincidentally, Djokovic himself is also one of the Nippon's biggest fans, even touting it in a Tennis Channel promo about places to go in New York. He was there last week, said Mr. Makoshi. Also Andy Murray (lost today), Svetlana Kuznetzova (lost yesterday), Elena Dementieva (lost to Oudin), and Victoria Azarenka (lost in round three). Maybe the Nippon is having a Piven-esque effect on some of the players, though Djokovic seems to be doing just fine.

Mr. Makoshi told us that sushi was naturally the most popular order, though Dementieva liked the beef salad. The restaurant's web site also includes an unusual tribute to Michael Jackson, who apparently once sang a Japanese children's song to the owners.

Her opponent was Elena Dementieva, a tall and lanky Russian who is the fourth-ranked player in the world, who hits some of the best ground strokes in tennis and was considered by many tennis-watchers to be the non-Serena favorite to win the Open.

In the biggest win of her career, Oudin blitzed, out-smarted and outplayed Dementieva, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in a 2-hour, 45-minute match that was by far the most significant in the first four days of tennis here.

Nick Bollettieri told us the road to victory for Oudin today would be to gamble, to go big on her returns, to attack on her second serves. Oudin gambled big-time, and the plan worked perfectly. She completely dictated the match. She had 30 winners compared to Dementieva's 22. She broke Dementieva's serve seven times. Oudin had an answer for every one of her opponent's perfect forehands and backhands. She hit the angles, she played smart.

(And we can safely dispatch those comparisons to Amy Frazier!)

"I don't even know what to say right now," she said after the match, with a high-pitched 17-year-old voice in an on-court interview. "I'm so excited, you have no idea!"

Suddenly, with the reemergence of Kim Clijsters and the rise of Melanie Oudin, there's a ray of sunshine for women's tennis. And remember how Kim Clijsters was bemoaning the lack of artists in women's tennis?

Here's an answer, maybe.

We asked Nick Bollettieri how Oudin could pull off a major upset. He said she had to swing for the fences.

"Oudin has to gamble," he said. "She has to do a little bit more than she's accustomed to. I don't think that just keeping it in play and getting everything back will be enough to beat Dementieva. She needs a surprise attack. Go for more on the second serve, go for your return a little bigger. Put more pressure on her. Change it up."

We've heard her compared to Amy Frazier (eep!), and a good result here would be received as something of a miracle.

Oudin will have the crowd behind her, though, and she already has some pretty impressive wins in her young career. At Wimbledon, she upset Jelena Jankovic in the third round, and beat a ranked player, Sybille Bammer, in the first round. Oudin beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets at the Grandstand on Monday in an impressive display. But Dementieva is a different proposition entirely.

The match begins at 11 this morning.

Jelena Jankovic calmly strolled to the locker room after the match--generally a moment heavy in emotions--like it was an easy third-round win. Dinara Safina, who is about to play Serena Williams for the other spot in the finals, was in the hallway and tried to stop Jankovic and congratulate her, but Jelena was too spaced out to notice. Then, just as she was entering the women's locker room door, Jankovic screamed to no one in particular: "Get me one of those protein drinks!"

Someone mumbled something back.

"No, I'll be out soon!" she replied.

The lady knows what she wants.

"I cannot even compare a Grand Slam and the Olympic Games because it's just so much bigger. This is a dream for every athlete, just to be here. But to be an Olympic champion, this is the top of the career" -- Elena Dementieva, 2008 women's Gold medalist, 0 Grand Slam wins

"For tennis, the Slams are more important" -- Rafael Nadal, 2008 men's Gold medalist, 5 Grand Slam wins

Rafael Nadal debuts at the Open at Arthur Ashe, right after Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams finish up against their unknown opponents.

Streaky Marat Safin plays at 11 this morning on Louis Armstrong, followed by Justine Henin. Next door, at the very loud Grandstand there will be a delightful lineup full of Americans: Meghann Shaughnessy, Robby Ginepri, Mardy Fish and upstart Ahsha Rolle.

On Court 11, Elena Dementieva plays the second match, followed by former French Open Champion Carlos Moya. Over at Court 13 there are back-to-back matches featuring Spaniard Tommy Robredo and the lovable Marion Bartoli.

Match of the Day: giant American John Isner takes on South African Rik De Voest (10 inches shorter!) in the battle of 100-something seeds at night time in Louis Armstrong. The winner gets a crack at Roger Federer. Expect electricity.