New York: The dazzling US Open run by unseeded American teenager Melanie Oudin ended abruptly on Wednesday in a hail of unforced errors, ineffective serving and overall uninspired play.
Ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki was steady, if unspectacular, in defeating the 17-year-old Oudin 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the year's final Grand Slam.
Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer bounced Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4 to reach the last four, while on the men's side, Novak Djokovic edged his way into the semis with a 7-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Spain's Fernando Verdasco.
The big news of Day 10 at Flushing Meadows was the quiet elimination of Oudin, the diminutive Georgian who failed to respond to the urging of the 23,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Oudin, who beat fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former champion Maria Sharapova en route to the quarter-finals, had 43 unforced errors during the 88-minute match against Wozniacki and only seven winners from her chief weapon, the forehand.
"This has been a great experience for me. I had a great run here," a bitterly disappointed Oudin told the crowd in a courtside interview. "I hope to come back next year and do even better."
Wozniacki, 19, was steady against Oudin, blasting only five winners, while letting her opponent spray the ball long and wide.
"I'm sorry that I won against Melanie today," Wozniacki told the crowd as the winds swirled around the stadium. "I know many of you wanted her to win.
"But hopefully I won many of your hearts and you will be cheering for me in my next match."
Next up for Wozniacki will be 19-year-old Wickmayer, who has failed to advance past the first round in five of her six previous career Grand Slam appearances.
As Kim Clijsters waltzes through the draw in her first Grand Slam since ending her two-year retirement last month, Wickmayer is even taking a back-seat in her own country.
Clijsters is unranked because she began her comeback only in the last few weeks but she is clearly the most widely known player in Belgium.
Amazing run
Wickmayer, ranked 50th, said she was amazed by her run.
"Before this, my best (Grand Slam) result was second round," she said. "So of course when you get to the third, fourth round, you start surprising yourself.
"But actually, I've been staying pretty calm. I've worked really hard for this."
The rash of upsets among the women has left only number two seed and three-times champion Serena Williams left in the draw among the top eight. She will face Clijsters, the 2005 champion, in the other semi-final.
Djokovic, a Flushing Meadows finalist in 2007, had 10 aces and landed 67 percent of his first serves to reach his third consecutive US Open semi-final.
"It feels great," said Djokovic, the fourth seed. "Mentally it was very important for me to overcome today's challenge and to be able to win and to get to the semi-finals first time in the Grand Slams in 2009.
"So now that I've done it I feel kind of a relief and I hope I can continue playing well and challenge Federer if he gets to the semi-final."
Verdasco, the 10th seed, was bothered by a strained stomach muscle but would not use that as an excuse.
"I tried my best but it was not enough to win today," he said.
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