Melanie Oudin made it to the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Seventeen year old Melanie Oudin, that is, who upset some major players like Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova, in the US Open, which finished Monday. She was finally ousted from the tournament by No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. But to focus on the negative would be silly – after all, at just 17, Oudin made it to where few 17-year-old players make it in one of the biggest tennis tournaments.

First, Oudin had nothing to lose. If she made it to the finals or even won the US Open, she’d be a phenomenal news story. But if not – well, she’s just a kid, and she can just go back to practicing and playing. But the fact that she ousted tough players like Sharapova and Petrova at least say something of her abilities. It wasn’t just luck – it was skill. Skills discovered thanks to coaches showing Oudin how to play her best.

Oudin, despite her loss, is still another example of a young, promising athlete being coached to success…comparable to promising businesses being coached to success.