Melanie Oudin returned to the scene of her 2009 coming-out party, defeating 143rd-ranked Olga Savchuk, 6-3, 6-0, to kick off the 2010 US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.

Oudin ran through four Russians in her run to the quarterfinals at last year’s US Open, including upsets of 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova. Just 18-24 since then, Oudin shrugged off two early break points to wrestle momentum away from her Ukrainian opponent for good.

The 18-year-old native of Marietta, Ga. won the final nine games of the match, dropping just two of 26 points in the second set.

“I can’t believe they actually put me first on the court at the US Open,” Oudin said in an on-court interview following her win. “That’s a real honor for me.”

At first glance, Oudin appeared a different player than the one who dominated New York City sports pages last September. With shorter hair pulled back behind a bandana — and not a visor — Oudin replaced her 2009 shoe slogan of “Believe” with the word “Courage”.

Appearances aside, Oudin’s play proved eerily similar to the style she thrived under last season, with fast feet, flat forehands and at least two dozen “Come on” chants echoing throughout the largest tennis stadium in the world.

The 5′6″ Oudin used the aforementioned footwork, forehand and feelings to take the first game, crunching a short ball for an inside-out winner. However, Savchuk countered early with a tricky serve that rattled the American’s return.

Even at 3-3, Savchuk reached 15-40 on Oudin’s serve. The unseeded American hit winners to save both break points, held by belting a down-the-line backhand and never looked back.

Oudin approached the net for her 11th winner of the first set to take it 6-3 in 38 minutes. She needed only 18 more to finish the match, inching inside the baseline to bash winners at will off both her forehand and backhand wings.

“After I won the first set, everything just felt good again,” said Oudin. “I started moving my feet a lot more and was feeling really good out there. I’m happy to be back on Ashe again.”

In about as clean of a set that a professional tennis player can put together, Oudin won the first 16 points and 24 of 26 points overall in the second set, hitting nine winners, making zero unforced errors and winning all 12 points on her serve.

She clinched her first match point by ending a cross-court rally with a down-the-line backhand that blew past Savchuk.

Oudin will meet No. 29 seed Alona Bondarenko in the second round. She is in the same section of the draw as French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and in-form Belarusian Victoria Azarenka. But after her Cinderella run to the quarterfinals last season, Oudin knows better than to look too far down the draw.

“I’m just taking it match by match this year,” said Oudin. “I’m just going to keep playing well, practicing hard and hopefully I can do it again.”