James Blake
James Blake
James Riley Blakeis an American retired professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. During his career, Blake had amassed 24 singles finals appearances, while his career-high singles ranking was World No. 4. His career highlights included reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the semifinals of the Beijing Olympics and the quarterfinals of the Australian Openand US Open, as well as being the former American No. 1. His two titles for the...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth28 December 1979
CountryUnited States of America
That was an amazing point, ... It shows how well you have to play to get a break to get ahead of him. Those are the kind of points earlier in the year I would have lost earlier in the rally.
It does still seem like Andy's the leader of the pack and will continue to be, ... but we're all doing our best. I think we all hit a little slump at one point ... but we're all, I think, better and wiser for it now.
To win on Tommy's serve was great. It was welcome. I had no regrets going after his second serve on match point. Six months ago I wouldn't have had the confidence to do it. Early in the year, the break points were the ones I was missing. I need to keep those points going my way.
It was one of those days where everything was going in, ... I felt like I was able to dictate. He didn't get many free points on his serve, but I was able to get some on mine.
It's a tricky proposition to play against him. You have to get your emotions in check. You have to take care of each one of those points instead of getting down on myself.
Tommy just steamrolled me (in 19 minutes) in that first set, ... He returns your serve so well, it seems like you have to win every point three times.
To be able to win in front of my friends and family is one of my greatest memories to date. It was a big turning point for me and propelled me to my great finish at the U.S Open and then throughout the rest of 2005.
He didn't get many free points on his serve and I was getting some on mine,
He helped me make just minor adjustments. He said, 'Look, you've been broken one time. He had one break point and got it, and you had two and didn't get them. It could easily be the other way. There's no reason to change anything major.' And I didn't.
I heard the Blake chant and I decided mentally I'd start the match over. I would try to dictate more points because playing defense clearly wasn't working.
He adjusted. He put me on the defensive. Even though I like to run and I feel I'm pretty good on the run, he started to make me run to the point where it was uncomfortable.
We weren't sure if I was ever really going to be back to a 100 percent, if I was ever going to be back to this level again. I said whatever tournament I win, the next Grand Slam, you have to wear a gold tooth for the whole time I'm in the tournament.
I've never seen that called in my career.
I've never played well in Europe before but it's been great so far,