Wozniak is the second highest seed after Sabine Lisicki had to withdraw from the tournament after getting injured at the US Open.

Also advancing No.4 seed Lucie Safarova beat another French-Canadian, Valérie Tétreault, 6-2, 6-2 and Bethany Mattek-Sands, who reached the finals in Quebec last year beat fellow American Vania King, 6-3, 6-3.

The quarters will all take place on Friday, with top seed Nadia Petrova facing Melinda Czink, Wozniak taking on Alla Kudryavtseva, Safarova taking on Mattek-Sands and Julia Goerges playing Lilia Osterloh.

Petrova, the top seed and defending champion in the 220,000-dollar tournament, beat Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-2 in 69 minutes, belting 10 aces past the 19-year-old American in their second-round clash.

This comes a day after the Russian knocked out Open mixed doubles winner Carly Gullickson in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.

Petrova will face fifth-seeded Hungarian Melinda Czink, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over France’s Severine Bremond Beltrame in the quarterfinals.

We saw a star being born in Flushing Meadows. A determined girl, who knows she has a lot to learn in her career and her sport before she can be a champion.

“I’ve never been to the quarters of a Grand Slam,” she said. “I’ve never been this far, so for me, I have to learn how to handle the grueling two weeks in a Grand Slam. And mentally, physically, I mean, my body has had a lot of matches and a lot of time on the court. Mentally, it takes a lot to fight through those matches three sets three times in a row.

“So for me, I think I’m going to need to learn how to handle that, and I need to improve. I think I need to get quicker and even stronger and I definitely can improve a lot of things in my game.”

First she’s playing in Quebec City next week in the Bell Challenge then maybe some time off. Although Oudin says her life is the same, it’s not. Her life has changed, as she’s become a national sensation. But yet, there’s still the wholesome attitude, which wowed the New York crowd as it came out so natural.

Even today, Oudin seemed overwhelmed as was almost in tears as she was peppered with questions. With time she will overcome that and with time she will take her top spot in the rankings.

“She’s only 17 years old,” said a very gracious and happy Wozniacki. “She has been playing some great tennis. I think that, you know, she had a lot of attention here, and I think the way she handled all the attention, I think she did very well. I think she has a great team around her, and I’m sure that she’ll win many, many more matches in the future, as well.”

Wozniacki came in with a game plan. Unlike the Russians Oudin took down, the Danish princess played a defense match and forced Oudin to make mistakes. Instead of taking the 17 year-old for granted, the 19 year-old forced the Georgian to make the shots, which at times came up short.

With time, though, Oudin will learn how to face an opponent like Wozniacki. She will force an opponent to play her game her game, instead of relying upon guts and guile.

“I think it’s going to be experience and working hard,” Oudin said. “I’m going to have to go back home and just keep training like I do. I’m sure that, you know, if I keep working hard, hopefully I can do this again.”

Our gut says she will, but remember next time, Oudin will be in the spotlight. After this year’s Open only a foolish opponent will take her for granted and in her next tournaments, she will be the featured match and in the spotlight.

Yet, this girl can handle it. With a good family base behind her, Oudin will stay as normal as she possibly can be. Right now, that’s pretty regular.

“I’m basically a normal 17 year-old kid,” she said. “I still go to movies and go to the mall. Like to shop. Here we’ve saw a couple of plays. I just like going back and watching TV. I have a Wii at my house. I love playing that.

“Just different things, like board games and cards with my grandma. I mean, I just love doing all of that stuff, so basically I’m just a normal kid.”

Even though, she will find out that some things will change, Oudin seems ready for the challenge. She is out of the shadows and now the girl everyone is gunning to get. Yet, as we have seen in these last two weeks, this “normal girl” from Marietta, GA can handle anything that’s tossed at her.

His straight set defeat to Marin Cilic, 5-7, 2-6, 2-6 was such a dismantling, you have to wonder what was wrong.

Was it his wrist? Well no.

“I had a problem with it for a week or so,” he said. :But regardless, I mean, you know, I just struggled today. I played poorly. You know, I’m obviously very disappointed. I mean, after, you know, the way that the last three Slams went I felt like I had actually played well and lost.

“And today, you know, it didn’t feel like I played well. I had my chance in the first set, and then, you know, struggled after that. I guess the momentum went with him, and I didn’t manage to get it back. So, you know, I wasn’t able to return well.”

The first set where Murray lost, but competed with Croatian opponent was the beginning of the end. After that set, Cilic was able to make his shots and put the Scotsman on his heels. There was no turning back for the No. 2 seed as he went quietly into the New York night.

“I didn’t find a way to get myself into the match,” he said. “There was very few long rallies after the first set, and normally, you know, I’m able to get myself into rallies.

“But, you know, I guess on the return, you know, every time I had a chance, you know, he would hit a big serve or I would hit a poor return, especially on the second serve. You know, just a lot allowed him to dictate the play.

“Normally the return is the one part of my game where, you know, even if the rest of my game is struggling, I find ways to break serve and get into points, and I didn’t do that.”

This was supposed to be Murray’s year. After going to the Finals in 2008, he was supposed to take that next step and compete with Roger Federer in these Grand Slams.

But he found nothing but disappointment. He went out in the fourth round in Australia, then the Quarters at Roland Garros. Sure he made the semi’s in Wimbledon, but couldn’t get past Andy Roddick.

Then here in Flushing, another disappointment.

Yet, to be a champion, you need to learn from the bumps in the road. And Murray made a vow to make sure this embarrassment never happens again.

“It’s been a good season,” he said. Could have been better in the Slams, but the rest of the season has gone well. I have to make sure, you know, I work on my game a lot to make sure that when I go into the Slams next year and the beginning of the year I’m ready to win one.”

Australia though is four months away and there’s plenty of time to think. He will still compete in the other tournaments around the world, but until he wins a Slam, there will always be questions about this young player.

Yet, that may be a good thing. Murray is a very smart man and seems to learn fro his mistakes. If he does then 2010 will be a good year for the Scot. If not, then expect the same disappointment from this rising tennis star.

And once again, there was Oudin coming from behind to win. First, there Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and then Elena Dementieva left the open early, After that, Maria Sharapova double faulting her way to defeat. This time it was Nadia Petrova and she knocked off the No. 13 seed, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

“I think it’s just mentally I’m staying in there with them the whole time, and I’m not giving up at all,” said the 17 year-old from Georgia.  “So they’re going to have to [give it their all] if they’re going to beat me, they’re going to beat me, because I’m not going to go anywhere.”

Much like the last three Russian titans she defeated, Oudin had to come back in this match. It was almost as if she raises it up a level as her back is against the wall. After dropping the first set, 1-6, she fought back with the match on the line.

And in the second set, she was down a break, 4-3 when she brought the set back to serve, forcing her Russian opponent back on her heels.

“I don’t actually mean to lose the first set,” she laughed.  “I sometimes just start off slowly, I guess. Maybe I’m a little nervous and all this stuff.

“But today my timing just wasn’t there in the first. My mindset going into the second was different. I totally forgot about the first. I was like, ‘All right. This is a new set.’ I’m going to start differently and forget about the first one and just start off like it’s a new match, and I started playing better.”

Playing better and more intense. It’s almost like she lulls her opponent into a false sense of security. Much like her idol, Justine Henin, Oudin becomes a powerhouse when the chips are down, maybe because she just refuses to lose.

“I think it does help me because I’ve been in that situation many times of losing the first set and being able to come back and win,” she said.  “Because I do well with forgetting about the first one and starting over like it’s a totally new match, so I forgot about the first set, and I’m just going to start off and my mind is going to be just on what’s happening right then.”

After she brought the second set back to serve, Petrova couldn’t do much against Oudin. Able to force a tie break, the young American won the extra session and brought the match to the third, where she quickly broke, her Russian opponent with a 5-deuce battle, finally won with an overhead lob, which just hugged the baseline.

“I had a lot of break chances in that game and she didn’t have any, so I knew that I needed to come up with she came up to net, and it was, like, ‘Yeah, I’ll throw up a lob,’ and it ended up going in,” Oudin said.

“Yeah, I think I was on the defensive at that point.”

After that point, Oudin was on the offense. Although Petrova was able to get it back on serve, Oudin continued to assault the Russian with the approval of the Arthur Ashe crowd.

Petrova only could manage three wins in the third set. Although she blames herself, for some of the match, there’s no doubting the Georgian fireplug.

“She’s a very good mover,” said Petrova about her opponent. “You really have to come up with a great shot. Seems like, you know, you feel like you’re coming up with a good shot, and she just runs the ball down and she’s very good in defense. You have to really come up with a good shot against her.”

So as Svetlana Kuznetsova looks to advance tonight Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 6 seed may have the Russian killer in the back of her mind, because the winner of that match will face Oudin in the Quarterfinals.

“I don’t really care who I get,” Oudin said. “I’m happy to be in the quarterfinals. I know it’s going to be a tough match no matter who I play.”