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Serena's next opponent has bright orange hair

NEW YORK – Neon orange has taken over the U.S. Open. From Tommy Haas’s sneakers to Bethanie Mattek-Sands' hair, it’s everywhere.

Mattek-Sands wore an orange – or, as she described it, electric melon – skirt and shoelaces to match her fluorescent ponytail as she absolutely dominated fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe on Tuesday afternoon. The 30-year-old won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.

The next time she takes the court she'll more than likely be inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the opportunity to spoil Serena Williams's historic run.

Mattek-Sands is playing in her 13th U.S. Open. That's the same number of appearances as Mardy Fish, yet no one in New York seems to know her name.

It's kind of remarkable, considering her style is impossible to forget. She has a full sleeve of tattoos on her arm, too. She always wears memorable outfits, including knee-high socks.

Wednesday she actually considered changing outfits right before the match, when another player asked her if she matched her hair to her outfit on purpose. But orange is one of her favorites, so she stuck with it.

With the way she played, it might be smart to stick with it for her next round, too. It's her first trip to the third round here.

"I have nothing to lose... I know how Serena's going to come. She plays aggresive," Mattek-Sands said after the match. "I mean, she plays big. I'm just going to go out with my game plan. That's really all I'm kind of thinking about now."

It would be shocking to see her defeat Williams. More shocking than seeing a player take the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium with bright orange hair. But if she pulls off the upset, one thing is certain: Fans would never again forget her name.