NEW YORK -- OK, it's quiz time, tennis fans.

	Meghann Shaughnessy celebrates her 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory against Asa Carlsson on Wednesday.

We know you can name the top five ranked American women. In fact, we're all on a first-name basis with Jennifer, Lindsay, Venus, Monica and Serena. But can you name the next in line?

That would be Meghann, as in Meghann Shaughnessy, the No. 12 ranked player on the WTA Tour.

And here's the amazing part: with a great effort here at the National Tennis Center she could find herself ranked among the top 10. Don't laugh -- Shaughnessy beat Venus Williams last month in Stanford and took out Monica Seles earlier this year.

Shaughnessy advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open by disposing of Sweden's Asa Carlsson 7-6 (4), 6-3 on Wednesday. She's on course to face Seles in the fourth round.

"I'm not far," to the top 10, Shaughnessy says. "But I definitely have some improvements to make before I can compete at that level -- just in certain areas of my game, and getting stronger physically as well as mentally."

Shaughnessy finds herself on the cusp of fame and fortune at the age of 22, relatively late in the game of women's tennis. After turning professional in 1996, she has seen her ranking steadily improve from No. 187, to No. 164 in 1997, to No. 72 in 1998, back to No. 97 in 1999, to No. 39 a year ago.

In five previous years, she never progressed past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament, but this year she reached the fourth round twice -- at the French Open and Wimbledon. She has only one title to her credit, the 2000 event at Shanghai, but she played well on the summer hard-court circuit, reaching the quarterfinals in Toronto before losing to Jennifer Capriati and decking then-No. 2-ranked Venus Williams on the way to the semifinals at Stanford.

Her greatest asset -- a long, lean 5-foot-11, 146-pound frame -- is also the thing preventing her from consistently beating the powers in women's tennis. Shaughnessy, you see, has food issues. Not the kind you might think -- she says she eats like, well, a horse, but nothing seems to stick. She loads a complex array of carbohydrates, protein and supplements and her goal this year is to reach 150 pounds.

Although her arms are almost frail-looking, Shaughnessy still generates some serious pace. Her serve and forehand are her main weapons -- picture the dynamic of a slingshot -- and they were on display against Carlsson.

Shaughnessy unleashed 12 aces, most of them at timely junctures. Leading Carlsson 5-4 in her first-set tiebreaker, Shaughnessy ripped back-to-back aces to win the set. It was a backhand down the line, however, that gave her match point. Shaughnessy arched her back, pumped both fists and nodded at her coach.

That would be Rafael Font de Mora, who also happens to be her fiancé. Font de Mora began coaching Shaughnessy when she was 13; he was 22.

"We're engaged and we have been and we're open about it," Shaughnessy said. "It definitely was a natural thing that just happened over time because we spend so much time together and went through so many things together that we just grew to love each other. I'm not going to say it's easy all the time because it's not. It's a hard thing to balance, but we do OK."

This is not all that unusual; a number of tour players, including Sandrine Testud, Dominique Van Roost and Julie Halard also wound up marrying their coaches.

It was Font de Mora who has waged an ugly battle against the United States Tennis Association over the past five years. He claims the organization didn't support Shaughnessy early in her career and tried to separate them after she reached the French Open junior final in 1996. It is an accusation that the USTA denies.

"My game is starting to come together," Shaughnessy says. "I feel that this year I've taken a big step forward. I'm starting to believe I can play with the best. And that's what is different."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.