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
andy best blown court grass meant player proportion second surface
I think it has been blown out of proportion that the grass was meant to make them uncomfortable. It was all about our being comfortable. It's the surface Andy is most comfortable on and I think he's the second best grass court player in the world.
circuit close good hottest players playing
He's one of the hottest players on the circuit right now, ... And I'm playing close to my best, so it should be a good match.
certain defense definitely improved mentally player serve three
I definitely feel like I'm a better player than when I was 22, ... There are certain things that have improved: My defense has improved a lot, my serve has improved a lot. I feel like mentally I'm just a little stronger. I don't think there is any way I would be able to do what I'm doing right now two or three years ago.
calm court gives giving knowing life lose losing match nearly opportunity perspective player run shots start tennis worse
I really think it is going to in the long run make me a better player giving you the perspective of being out on the court knowing that it's not the end of the world if you lose and that gives you the opportunity to go after your shots a little more, ... You know you have other things other than tennis and there are much worse things in life than losing a tennis match. So it will give me a better perspective, a little more calm on the court. Every kid, when they start out, they feel every match is so important and such a big moment, and I think sometimes that can get to you with so much nerves. Now I don't feel that nearly as much.
beating days forward game good guy guys hopefully last next players playing rest states top week weeks whether
I look forward to playing a guy like (Haas). He is someone who really has been at the top of the game and whether or not his ranking states it, he is one of the top players in the world, ... Beating guys like the way I have the last two days makes me think I can hopefully do some good things the rest of the week here and the next two weeks at the U.S. Open.
basketball beats early jordan maybe michael players realize slow starting time
Maybe I'm a slow learner. But he doesn't make it easy. I'm starting to feel like one of those basketball players in the early '90s. You feel like you make Michael Jordan play well, but then every time he comes up and beats you and makes you realize why he's the best.
combined confident defense definitely feeling five four gotten helped players seasons top turning
My defense has definitely gotten a little better. My serve's gotten a little stronger. I've put on four or five pounds, which I think has helped me make it through the long seasons without getting injured. I think all that combined is turning into me feeling more confident when I play Top 10 players like I did today.
andre gotten legs might player smarter taken
Andre has gotten the better of (Robby), ... But Robby is a much smarter player now. I would like to think I might have taken something out of Andre's legs (Wednesday night).
andy best burden depth good guess players prove rest since spell sure time
It's interesting, I hadn't thought about that. I guess I'll have to spell Andy this one time, since he's been doing it for years. I'll take the burden this time and I'm sure he'll take it back soon. He's one of the best players in the world and I'm sure he'll prove it for the rest of this year. For this one, it's good to see we have some depth in American tennis.
andre gotten legs might player smarter taken
Andre has gotten the better of (Robby). But Robby is a much smarter player now. I would like to think I might have taken something out of Andre's legs (Wednesday night).
week
I have said it before, that if every week was like this, I would never retire,
adjustment change court courts faster game grass hard hitting huge matter time
Any time getting on a grass court is going to be pretty fast, especially a lot faster than the hard courts we've been hitting on. It's just going to be a matter of time getting used to it. I feel comfortable on it. It's not a huge adjustment from the hard courts. It's still quicker. You have to change your game a little more, the movement's different.
drops heart move proud realize walk
Your heart drops a little. You feel that in your stomach, once you realize it's over, ... You've got to just walk up there and congratulate Andre. That's all I could do, is think about how proud I am and move on.
courts french hope impressive watch
It was impressive to watch him on the courts of the French Open, ... Let's hope it is different here in New York.