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Old News 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
12/30/02 Dynamic Duo Take the Court in Perth, Australia Ready or not, the 2003 tennis season is here (so what if it's still 2002!). Which also means the much anticipated pairing of James and Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup is happening. The Dynamic Duo polished off Uzbekistan today- James winning in three sets in singles(2-6, 5 and 2), Serena in two sets in singles (3 and 2), and the team winning in straight sets in doubles (3 and 1). Pictures are now in the Images section! Next up is Spain on Wednesday (but don't ask me when that is East Coast time, 'cause I still haven't quite figured that out yet). See an interview folloing the day's matches in the Media section.
12/25/02 Message from JB i just want to thank everyone who wished me well this holiday season. i appreciate all the support i get from my fans. i do read all of the support you send to the website, but in the effort of conserving a little time i just wanted to thank all of you. i am right now just spending some quality time with my family and friends back in connecticut, so i'm trying to just enjoy all the time i have here with them. JB special note- tennischik21 and nike5221 email me at jbinfo1@mindspring.com- your emails are no longer working. 12/10/02 Cards and Letters For all you who wish to send JB cards and letters for either the holidays or his birthday, they can be sent to: IMG Alternatively, feel free to use this site's email address for any wellwishes you would like to send and it will make it to him a lot more quickly. jbinfo1@mindspring.com Also, for those of you in the NYC metro area, don't forget to support the Harlem Jr. Tennis Program appearance next Saturday by JB. See more info below. 12/10/02 1st Annual jamesblaketennis.com Interview This aspiring reporter came up with 10 questions for the man in question. HERE are the questions and his responses. 12/9/02 Preliminary Schedule Announced Received a preliminary schedule recently for James' 2003 season. Click HERE to see it in it's entirety. Appears JB is cutting back on a few tournaments towards the end of the season. 12/3/02 Harlem Junior Tennis Program Event I forgot to post this news when I had it a week or so ago, so i'll let my friend Richard Pagliaro of TennisWeek.com do the honors. By the way, tennisweek.com is a great daily source of tennis info for those of you who don't know... Blake Brothers
To Teach Harlem Tennis Center Clinic The historic Harlem Junior Tennis Program is hosting a class reunion to benefit its current students next month. Former Yonkers residents James Blake and Thomas Blake, who both learned to play tennis in the program, will return to play an exhibition match and conduct a clinic for children on Saturday, December 21st from 3 to 5 p.m. The Blake brothers
appear annually in the Harlem Junior Tennis Program's clinic. A year
ago, the Blakes and John McEnroe played a doubles exhibition with one
of the members of the program. The Harlem Tennis Program is located
at 40 West 143rd Street in New York. 11/26/02 In People Mag Anyways Many thanks to Anne from Paris who saved me a trip to the grocery store. The People magazine article is now posted in the Images section (under magazines). 11/25/02 In People Mag Anyways It appears that even though JB finished ahead of only his own shadow in that online poll, your vote didn't count anyways. The editors at People gave JB the nod as the sexiest athlete in the current issue. I'll post the article as soon as I make it to the grocery store this week (not an entirely fun proposition considering the proximity to Thanksgiving). Heard from JB today. He is in need of a new agent. Carlos jumped out of the plane on Thursday and his remains were only discovered this morning. Just joking. About the remains, that is, they were actually discovered immediately after the fall not too far from the airfield parking lot. Here's the report from the man himself: carlos did go through with it, although he did not look extremely happy for most of the time. the professionals were making a bunch of jokes for the ride up and i don't think he cracked a smile once. i thought it was pretty funny, but he was looking a little nervous. anyway, i had a great time and thought it was even better the second time than the first time. so maybe it will just keep getting better and better. i don't think carlos will ever experience that second time though since he vowed to never, ever do that again. oh well, at least i got him up there once. 11/21/02 Not Sexy Enough Well, ole JB is taking it on the chin again in another sexiest person contest. This one is on people.com and James is bringing up the rear against other athletes. Last I saw he had garnered a paltry 5.2% of the votes. Head to http://people.aol.com/people/index.html to try to make the final result a little less embarassing. 11/18/02 Sky Diving Rumor has it that this coming Thursday is D-Day for James' agent, Carlos Fleming, to make good on his promise to do some sky diving if James won a tournament. Well, as you all know, JB won the Legg Mason earlier this year, so now Carlos has to live up to his end of the bargain. Apparently Carlos is nowhere to be found at the moment. He was last seen ranting and raving, and then looking somewhat panicked at his IMG office in Cleveland. Office workers are taking bets now on whether Carlos will turn up again and go through with his promise, and James promises that if he does not follow through there will be some serious a** kicking. In other news- JB finished up a photoshoot to be in People Magazine's Sexiest People Alive edition. Not sure when that comes out though. Also of note, JB will be participating in Justin Gimelstob's annual charity event in New Jersey on December 15th, benefiting kids with cancer. Click the link in the previous sentence to download a PDF file with more info on the event. Let's start a poll! Email me at jbinfo1@mindspring.com with your top 3 JB matches this past year (includes doubles and Davis Cup action). Make the subject of your email: "POLL" I'll post results year-end. 11/13/02
Big names on their way to Paradise - One half of the world's top seeded doubles team, Bahamian Mark Knowles, has announced that some of the world's best tennis players will travel to The Bahamas to play in the 2nd Annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational scheduled for Dec. 6th-8th. Big names like Andre Agassi, James Blake and Jim Courier have already committed to the tournament, which will be held at the world-renowned Atlantis Resort & Casino. Local Bahamian children's charities are again set to benefit from the tournament. Last year the event raised $20,000, which was disbursed in equal amounts to The Cancer Society, The Sassoon (Bahamas) Foundation for Pediatric Heart Care, The Children's Emergency Hostel and the Bahamas, Lawn Tennis Association's Junior Program. This year some of these charities will repeat as beneficiaries and several new ones will be added, including The Association for the Physically Disabled, the Special Olympics and The Scout Association of the Bahamas. In addition to Knowles, Agassi, Courier and Blake, Arnaud Boetsch, Tom Gullickson, Tommy Haas, Nicolas Lapentti, and Fred Stolle have also committed to playing in the charity event. Anna Kournikova, Chandra Rubin and Alexandra Stevenson of the women's tour have also expressed interest in joining their male counterparts in Paradise. The charity tournament kicks off with the Tennis Pro/Am on Friday, Dec. 6th, followed by a welcome Cocktail Party hosted by the Ministry of Tourism. The finals of the Tennis Pro/Am will be played on Saturday morning, and the Golf Pro/Am is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. © 2002 The Nassau
11/8/02 More Website Additions In my never-ending quest to enhance this site for you, the fans, and in order to put off housework and 'real' duties as long as possible, I've added some more features to the fan section of the site. What we have are submissions from you- a creative JB background designed by Anne from Staten Island and some great pix from Kate during her neverending tour of the European tournaments. Hope you enjoy and keep up the creativity. 11/7/02 Break Time JB is back home in the States for the first time since Davis Cup in September. It's time for a little R&R and then gearing up for next season, which kicks off with the Hopman Cup in December in Australia. In order to pass the time between now and then, I'll try to add some interesting features to the site in the fan section. We'll start off with a new page called JB's Gear. A look at what James wears and plays with. I'll collect further details (such as string tension and exactly how he customizes his racquet as soon as I can). But for now, head to the Fan page to see this new feature. 10/31/02 2002 Season ends with Loss to Moya JB finished off his 2002 campaign yesterday with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Moya in Paris. It looks like James will finish off ranked 26th or 27th I believe. Outside of Srichaphan, I think James might have gained more places of any player in the top 100 for the year. We'll have to check on that though. Next up for JB is some R&R and then what a lot of people have been waiting for- a doubles match with partner SERENA WILLIAMS at the Hopman Cup in Australia in December! James is sticking around in Paris for a few days to do some promotional stuff, but he is making good use of his time- he has answered even more questions! Head to the Ask JB page to see the latest. 10/29/02 JB Gets a Big Win at the Paris TMS JB played a three setter today, beating Fernando Gonzalez, a finalist in Basel last week. He moves on to play Carlos Moya. JB played a three setter against Moya a few weeks back in Vienna, losing 6-1 in the third. More details, and hopefully pix to come shortly... The win moves him past the $1 million dollar mark in career earnings- a testament to the great year he's had so far (he has earned about $600,000 this year alone). 10/27/02 After withdrawal from Doubles in Basel, JB Ready for Paris. JB and Andy Roddick had to withdraw from doubles in Basel after Andy tweaked his ankle playing in singles. That means the Paris Masters Series event is all that's left of the 2002 tennis season. The draws have already been announced and James is taking of Fernando Gonzalez in the first round. Gonzalez just lost today in the final at Basel to Nalbandian in three sets. James is not entered into the doubles draw. TV coverage does not start in the US until Thursday, so you will have to follow the action on the net at: http://www.masters-series.com/paris/ 10/25/02 Once again, JB Plays a Tight Match Against Roddick in Singles but Comes Out on Short End For the fourth time this year, JB played a hard fought match against A-Rod, only to find himself with another notch in the loss column. Roddick won in straight sets 7-6, 6-3. The match featured only one break of serve, in the second set at 4-3 Roddick. According to James, and Andy, that was the best Andy had ever served. James said he played a few bad points in the tiebreak and that's what cost him. Here are a few comments from Andy following the match: "This is the best match I've played since coming to Europe. I'm happy with my performance. We know each other so well, there aren't too many surprises." "James is a good friend, I really respect him. It's tough to play someone I respect so much and like to be around. To beat him six times in a row is pretty lucky, I'm not six times better. I know he is going to beat me before our careers are over, I'm just trying to delay it." The two then teamed up to play doubles, beating Arnold and Etlis 6-2, 76(3). The duo is off today but plays in the semis tomorrow. After the matches JB took time again to answer more of your questions. Check out his responses here. 10/23/02 JB Moves on Through to Face Off Against his Partner JB beat David Ferrer today 6-3, 7-5, meaning he will be playing Andy Roddick tomorrow in the second round. Roddick beat Xavier Malisse easily today. After "suitable rest" the two will team up to play their second round of doubles. 10/23/02 JB Answers Even More of Your Questions! Despite a solid two hours of MTV in Basel (Osbournes, Tom Green and Jackass), JB still found time to answer more of your questions. Head to the Fans section and check out his 'Latest Responses'. JB and Andy were successful in their doubles match yesterday, winning 7-6, 7-5. Tonight James faces David Ferrer. 10/22/02 JB Answers More of Your Questions! Apparently the TV is pretty bad in Basel. James has answered a bunch of your questions. Head to the Fans section to read his responses. 10/21/02 JB to Face Ferrer in First Round Match in Basel JB has a must win match in the first round of the Basel Indoor tournament- if he wants to avoid some fraternal ribbing. He's taking on David Ferrer, who JB's brother Thomas beat not too long ago. If he gets by Ferrer, he faces the winner of the Xavier Malisse - Andy Roddick match. Speaking of Andy Roddick- James is teaming with him in the doubles draw. The two have teamed in the past- I believe it was at the Challenger level. Their first round match is tomorrow. 10/21/02 JB Takes it on the Chin in Sexiest Athlete Poll! After a crushing loss in Madrid and months away from home, JB has been handed yet another devastating blow- recently published poll results on E! online indicate he has come in last among 'Sexiest Athletes'! Here's how the voting looks (or see it for yourself at: http://www.eonline.com/On/Rank/Shows/Sexiestmen02/results.html): 1. Which of these sexy
athletes gets your heart pumping? When reached for comment,
JB only had this to offer, "Well,
I've got news for you- I've met Derek Jeter up close and personal and
he has really bad acne. He actually wears makeup while he plays.
David Beckham? David Beckham...since when do English football players
and the word sexy have anything to do with one another? Plus, anyone
that marries a Spice Girl- yikes. I will give props to Apolo Ohno- he's
got a pretty cool soul patch- so I can live with that result, but, just
so you know, I did hear he was only 5'6". Kobe Bryant- more acne
issues. And did you see him last night with that golden key or whatever
around his neck at the World Series game? Come on, what's he going for?
The 'Mr. T Got the Key to the City' award? Plus I could take him off
the dribble no prob." JUST A 7 DAYS WITH NO NEWS TO REPORT JOKE FOLKS. 10/15/02 TMS Madrid Loss After takinga 4-1 first-set lead, JB hit a roadblock, losing 6-4, 6-2 against Agustin Calleri yesterday. Haven't read or heard any details, but it doesn't look pretty. Hopefully the groin injury didn't come into play, Now it's on to Basel for the Swiss indoors. 10/15/02 Regis and Kelly Images Added Received some great shots of JB's appearance on Regis and Kelly yesterday from the USTA. They are posted in the images section, under off-court activity. Unfortunately, these are not for sharing. 10/13/02 TMS Madrid Tomorrow JB takes on Agustin Calleri, one of the up and coming Argentinian players on tour. If he gets by that match, Marat Safin will be wating in the wings- he has a first round bye. No TV coverage of the event until the late rounds, so head to http://www.tennis-masters-madrid.com/default.asp to follow the action. 10/11/02 Vienna Round 3 JB lost today to Carlos Moya in three sets, 6-7, 6-3, 1-6 in Vienna. A good showing at a tough tournament. It's on now to Madrid for the city's inaugural Tennis Masters Series event, played indoors. JB will probably be in action Monday or Tuesday. 10/10/02 GQ Photoshoot Details Just learned that GQ magazine is trailing JB around the globe preparing an 8-9 page April spread on him. A "See JB in fancy clothes in Tokyo, Madrid, Paris, NYC, etc!" kinda thing. 10/10/02 Das war's! Rasta-Mann entscheidet das Tie-Break und das Match für sich! Apparently JB is now known as the Rasta-Mann in Vienna. Well, I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing, but I do know the Rasta-Mann won today, beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 7-6. Close match throughout, with JB breaking at 5-4 to take the first set. I believe they remained on serve in the second set and the tiebreak was close as well, with JB prevailing 7-4. Next up is Carlos Moya! 10/9/02 JB in Vienna After a doubles loss yesterday, JB returned to action in singles today by beating Vince Spadea. JB had lost to Spadea earlier this year at the Queen's Club tournament. The match was full of breaks of serve, but JB prevailed in three sets- 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. He now faces German Nicolas Kiefer. 10/6/02 JB's Favorites Section up Head to the Fan section for a new feature here at jamesblaketennis.com. JB has listed a number of his favorite things for the site. Email me if you have some favorites you would like to find out. JB also just finished reading a huge batch of fan mail and wanted to "thank you all so much, and i did read every one of them and i'm happy to have so many wonderful fans. i'd like to think it reflects on the person what type of fans he has." JB also responded to a number of your questions too. I have sent emails to those of you to whom he responded. He's still a little behind in responding to all the questions he received so don't despair if your question wasn't answered. JB should have much more time to get to questions, especially once the season ends in early November. 10/4/02 On to Vienna Sorry for the lack of updates of late. After enduring numerous rain delays and match reshuffling, JB took the court in Tokyo against Martin Verkerk on Thursday and lost in a three setter. Things got better shortly thereafter however, when JB teamed with his brother to win 2 consecutive doubles matches, getting them to the quarterfinals for the first time at an ATP event. Also, kudos to Thomas (JB's brother) for winning his second ATP Tour match and making it to the second round of the tournament, after having qualified. That should at least make Thomas' trip to Asia worthwhile. Today, JB and Thomas lost their quarterfinal match to Coetzee and Haggard, so it's on to Vienna for James. Good news- JB has answered a batch of fan questions, and as soon as he arrives in Vienna he will send them along to jamesblaketennis.com for posting. 9/24/02 JB Ready for Tokyo JB is the 6th seed in the Tokyo event that starts tomorrow. That means he gets a first round bye. He will meet the winner of Verkerk, a big server who James beat in the finals of the Hawaii Challenger at the beginning of the year, and Vacek, who outside of a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon hasn't done much all year. JB's brother Thomas is also in the draw, having won two qualifying matches. He faces David Ferrer, a dirtballer who has won a couple tournaments this year and is ranked 81st. The two are also teaming up for some doubles action. They take on Huss and Pearson in the first round. Huss is a former child piano prodigy and Pearson once ran the 100 metres in 10.21 seconds. Just joking- never heard of them in my life. 9/24/02 JB Pulls Out of Hong Kong Just learned that JB tweaked his groin during Davis Cup play and has decided to withdraw from the Salem Open. He is still planning on playing Tokyo. 9/22/02 Davis Cup Day 3: Bittersweet Ending James won his match today against Arnaud Clement, but unfortunately it was too little too late for the US squad in their tie against France. After JB's great win on Saturday with partner Todd Martin in doubles, Andy Roddick bowed to Sebastien Grosjean today, and that did it for the tie. The diminuative Grosjean took out Blake and Roddick and was clearly the best player out there this weekend. James is off to Asia now to compete in Hong Kong and Tokyo. 9/21/02
Davis Cup Day 2 Recap http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2002-09-20-five-star_x.htm James' Post Match Press Conference: http://www.daviscup.org/scripts/dcpage.dll?pid=115&nid=4005&org=115& Martin
And Blake Win Five Set Squeaker to Keep USA Alive (from daviscup.org) The conditions could not have been more favorable for Saturday’s doubles. The early autumn weather was spectacular -- bright and sunny. The historic Court Philippe Chatrier was filled to capacity with 15,000 screaming spectators, all of whom were in their seats at the start of play and prepared to cheer. The Americans were represented by 1,000 fans who had traveled to Paris to support their Davis Cup team and what they lacked in numbers was more than made up in volume. French captain Guy Forget had stayed with his nominated team, the experienced and dangerous Fabrice Santoro and the up-and-coming Michael Llodra but American captain Patrick McEnroe had made a change, teaming steady veteran Todd Martin with James Blake. Although no player was dominant on his serve during the match, the French seemed more confident in the first, winning the set easily 6-2 in 28 minutes. The second set started nervously with three breaks of serve, Martin, then Llodra then Blake, before Santoro was able to put the French ahead 3-1. Martin again got behind on his serve but was able to hold on thanks to some solid play from Blake at the net. With alternating shots of “Allez France” and “Go USA” from the opposite camps, emotions were high in the stadium as Llodra was held serve, to lift the score to 4-2 for the French. Although there were flashes of brilliance from the Americans, there was no consistency. All too often they were in a hole on their serve and had to defend against instead of attack their opponents. Blake was down 0-30 in his next service game and, while he was able to get out of trouble, the Americans couldn’t seem to put two good points together at this stage of the match. But, at last, on Santoro’s serve, they gave their fans something concrete to cheer about, breaking to level the set at 4-4. Martin held serve as Blake’s return just dribbled over the net and the Americans were ahead in this set for the first time, but down one set to love. Llodra, serving to stay
in the set, helped himself with a crosscourt smash to reach 40-15 and
followed that up with a service winner to level the set again. The Americans dominated the tiebreak with solid play from Martin and Blake, coupled with some mistakes by the French. The American side of the stadium was rocking as their team took the second set while the French, more subdued, were beginning to reassess their game plan, wondering if the tide had turned against them. Tensions were high at the start of the third set with the server threatened in every game. While only Blake was broken, to give France a 2-0 lead in the set, there were close calls all around. With Martin serving and the USA down 2-5 in the set, the French challenged with some gutsy play. Martin failed with a lunge at the net and gave the French two set points. The Americans saved the first but the French were too good for them on the second, taking the set and the momentum away from the USA to lead two sets to one. The stadium was filled with many of France’s best and brightest with former Davis Cup captain Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte, Cedric Pioline and Amelie Mauresmo, Julie Halard-Decugis and US Open Junior champion Richard Gasquet among the star-studded crowd. Everyone seemed glued to their seats as emotions in the stadium ran very high. The USA broke Santoro at the start of the fourth set and stayed ahead. Martin’s serve was challenged in the eighth game but a combination of solid play by Blake and a wily cross court volley by Martin at the net, the Americans were able to hold on to their lead. Santoro was pressured at 3-5 but managed to get out of trouble. With the American fans singing and screaming, Blake served for the set, losing the first point when a Llodra return tipped the net but levelling the game with a cross court past the blond Frenchman. At 30-15, Santoro tried and failed to go down the line giving Blake two set points on his racquet. On the first, Llodra’s return went wide giving the USA the fourth set and a new lease on life in the tie. The match was 2 hrs. 30 minutes old at the start of the fifth set. Would we have a live Sunday tomorrow or would France hold on and reach their third Davis Cup Final in four years? Neither team was dominant but it was looking more and more likely that the Americans would survive as they seemed stronger and Llodra’s play became more and more erratic. Santoro was, in Martin’s words, “playing rock solid.” In the third game, the Americans threatened Santoro’s serve but once again were foiled. At deuce, Santoro made a magnificent second serve to give France the advantage and then chipped a backhand volley cross-court on the next point. With the score 2-1 for France, Blake, ably assisted at the net by Martin, won his serve easily to level the set then it was Llodra’s turn in the hot seat. The 1.91m Parisian had been inconsistent all day, with great shots followed up by shockers, and this game was no exception. But with two great serves at critical points, Llodra was able to keep the French ahead 3-2 in the set. As the late afternoon shadows began to move across the court, both Martin and Santoro held serve. With the score 4-3 to France, Blake won a difficult service game to level the score then the Americans broke Santoro to take a 5-4 lead in the match. The veteran Todd Martin, who has never failed to represent his country proudly, had the match and the hopes of a nation on his racquet. The 32 year old from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida came back from 0-30 down to win the match on the second match point to give the USA its first point in the tie. For the Americans, who have only come back once from two rubbers down in their more than 100 years of Davis Cup history, the odds are stacked against them but their captain, at least, is optimistic. “I think the guys will have learned a lot from yesterday,” said McEnroe. “It’s going to be tough but the guys learn quickly and I like our chances.” Asked if Roddick should have conserved his energy today and not stayed on the bench to cheer on his teammates, McEnroe added, “I wanted him in the locker room but it’s hard to keep him away.” Asked if he felt he would be physically able to play a possible decisive fifth rubber, Blake added: “I’ll be fine. I might be a little sore tonight…but, even if I am a little bit sore tomorrow, the crowd and the situation will get the adrenalin pumping in me and I’ll be fine.” Perhaps the most poignant
moment of the day was Martin’s who reflected on the victory. “It
means a whole lot to me to make tomorrow’s matches important. I
am aware of the youth moment in our country’s tennis…not just
Andy and James but Mardy Fish and Alex Kim and Taylor Dent. Lots of
guys are starting to assert themselves. This might be my last opportunity
to play Davis Cup and I don’t want to lose two, two and two. I
wanted to make the most of it.” 9/19/02 Davis Cup Day 1 Recap A rough day for Team USA today in France. Roddick got off to a good start, but lost a couple close tie breaks and then the match, while JB got off to a slow start and couldn't capitalize on a fourth set lead, losing to Grosjean. The US Team needs to decide who will play doubles tomorrow, then they need to win! You'll need to head to www.daviscup.org to follow the action though (no TV coveage on ESPN till Sunday)...Speaking of which, head to the site now to hear JB's post match presser: http://www.daviscup.org/scripts/dcpage.dll?pid=115&nid=3897&org=105& 9/19/02
Davis Cup TV Schedule
(These
guys look like a third rate judo team, don't they?) 9/17/02 Davis Cup Preps
Dreams of victory for US team - from daviscup.org Martin’s sentiments were echoed by his captain, Patrick McEnroe, and teammates, Andy Roddick and James Blake after the team completed its third practice yesterday on the famed terre battue of Roland Garros. “They have the best claycourts in the world here,” said Roddick. “It’s a pleasure to play here.” “As soon as we defeated Spain, the team was asking if they would get the opportunity to play France here at Roland Garros,” said McEnroe. “It’s thrilling to be a player here, to see how much respect the players have for this place,” said Blake. McEnroe said that his team was getting used to the clay but that the team was feeling “very good.” He refused to be drawn when asked who would win the tie, saying, “Every match is a winnable match. There is no clear favourite. Getting off to a good start is important.” McEnroe, who praised the talents of his opponents, was also very complimentary about his players. “Todd had some time off and is in good shape after some practice in Florida. Mardy Fish is getting better all the time. Same with James and Andy. They are improving all the time. We are very hopeful for the future.” “The French team is versatile and so is our team,” continued McEnroe. “Each team will think they have a chance to win.” Asked individually about the absence of the American top two, each member of the team said that they would not comment but noted that they themselves were proud to be there. “The great thing is that every person on this team wants to be here,” said Roddick. “This is a priority for everybody on our team.” “It’s the most important thing in a tennis player’s career,” said Blake. “Something I can believe in. You get a high playing for your country and I love being part of a team.” “It’s
a no brainer,” added Blake. “Four weeks out of my year I want
to be out there playing. I always dreamed of playing Davis Cup for my
country, especially with a great captain like Patrick.” 9/13/02 News Update James is on his way to France today to prepare for next week's Davis Cup tie at Roland Garros. After the Davis Cup, his Tour schedule is as follows: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Vienna, Madrid, Basel, and Paris. Sounds like some serious frequent flyer miles. Yesterday, JB's coach, Brian Barker, lived up to his word and did a little skydiving as a result of James' win at the Legg Mason tournament in D.C. Next on tap is James' agent Carlos Fleming, who also needs to jump out of a plane as a result of the win. James says he will "be laughing his a** off" at how scared Carlos will be. Can't say I blame him. Not that I would ever make such a bet in the first place... JB also cut a few Public Service Announcements for the Democratic National Committee yesterday in Florida. Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, independant, or non-political, you have to give him credit for doing this, especially in this age of sanitized sports stars- ed. 9/10/02 Davis Cup Squad Announced & Message from James James has been named to the US Davis Cup squad which will take on France next week in France. Other members are: Andy Roddick, Todd Martin, Mardy Fish, and practice partner Alex Kim. Heard from JB today. He says the past few weeks he's been busier than he's ever been. He wanted to thank everyone for their fan mail and questions, and he said he hopes to have time to respond to some of you individually in the next couple weeks. He anticipated things would actually settle down during Davis Cup week. I will post his responses on this site and notify each person individually if their question or fan mail was responded to. 9/9/02 Update Sorry for the infrequent updates over the past week. JB has been very busy, appearing on Regis and Kelly, an NBC interview show, he made a trip to his old school in Fairfield, etc. For a great transcript of the Regis appearance , head over to BlakeBrothers Online at http://www.stomps.org/Blakes/Interviews/regisandkelly.html Should know by tomorrow if JB will be a part of the Davis Cup squad going to France. In all likelyhood he will be. Apparently Agassi is still not interested in participating, and I doubt after the Open that Sampras will be up for it. That leaves Roddick, Blake, Gambill, Martin, and perhaps the Bryan twins as candidates. We'll see what happens. JB also recently re-signed with Dunlop to continue playing the 300G racquet. Here's the press release: DUNLOP EXTENDS CONTRACT
WITH EMERGING TENNIS STAR JAMES BLAKE Greenville, S.C. - Dunlop Sports Group has extended the contract of up-and-coming American tennis professional James Blake through 2006. Currently ranked 20th in the ATP Champions Race, Blake will continue to play Dunlop's acclaimed 300G racquet, as well as assisting in the development and evaluation of new performance tennis racquets for the brand. "We knew James was something special several years ago when he was the top-ranked American college player and a student at Harvard," said racquet sports marketing manager Kai Nitsche. "In a short time he's become a visible part of Dunlop's very positive momentum. By extending James's contract, we truly wanted him to know how much we appreciate what he does for our brand on and off the tennis court." The deal comes at a great
time for the New York native. Blake captured his first-ever ATP singles
title in a come-from-behind three-set victory over Thailand's Paradorn
Srichaphan at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. The
win came a day after Blake stunned Andre Agassi in a semi-final match-up,
and a week after teaming with Todd Martin to win the doubles competition
at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati.
# # #
8/31/02 US Open Report - Day 6 JB played a hell of a match today against Hewitt, but it was not to be. In the 5th set Hewitt pulled out all the stops and was tremendous on serve. JB acquitted himself well though against the number 1 player in the world and certainly won over even more fans. Yesterday JB and his brother lost in doubles, so this year's Open is over. I believe Hong Kong is next up for him, although I am checking on that. He also hopes to be named to the Davis Cup squad that will face France later this month. Thanks to all for sending in fan mail and questions. Just so you know, there is a huge pile of mail JB has to look through, so response times might be a little delayed. He does read through everything though, so I will pass along his responses as soon as I get them. 8/30/02 US Open Report - Day 5 (not sponsored by Cingular) JB took out Davydenko yesterday evening fairly easily and the BIG ONE is on the way. It's a rematch with Hewitt and I'm sure it will be a night match tomorrow in AA Stadium. Let's hope it's a doozy with a different result from last year. Today JB is finally getting in his first round doubles match with brother Thomas. Thanks to Avonlea for sending in this funny nugget- "We hear . . . THAT a crazed fan made off with the head of tennis heartthrob James Blake Wednesday night, after climbing up the giant Queensborough Bridge billboard featuring his image. The mischief-maker ripped the vinyl extension of Blake's mug clean off the poster put up by American Express, which said it will be replaced today" - from the NY Post If this was one of you- I want pix! And I promise I won't turn you in. 8/29/02 Open: Busy Day Today & TennisCelebs.com With last night's rainout, JB will be doing double duty today. First up is his match against Davydenko on Armstrong court (third match), then he and brother Thomas take on Koenig and Prinosil, the 15th seeds, in the third match on Court 4. For all you tennis nuts out there there's a new webzine that is making its debut- www.tenniscelebs.com . It will have plenty of info that you won't find elsewhere, including stuff on JB. It's a weekly, and there's a special charter rate of $27 a year going on now. If you head there now all you JB fans you can get a free trial subscription. It's run by Bob Larson, a well known media vet of the tennis industry. 8/26/02 US Open Round 1 and AAKD Recap Just got done watching the first three sets of JB's first round US Open match against Vahaly in person- then I had to catch a plane back home. After a mediocre first set, JB picked things up in the second set and started hitting his shots and dominating play. Credit to Vahaly in getting almost everything back and forcing JB into some tough shots. Sitting in the player's box were his mom and dad, brother THomas, coach Brian Barker, and a host of other friends. (See a few pix in the images section). On Saturday the 24th, JB was part of an IBM event at Arthur Ashe Kids Day. JB took the time to offer kids instruction on serves and groundstrokes and pose for a few pictures. (See pix in images section). After the IBM event, JB was in action for the main show at AAKD. Check out some courtside images of his match with Roddick against Sampras and Agassi, also in the images section. 8/21/02 US Open Draw Well, not exactly a cakewalk to the final. JB opens against Vahaly, then has one Mr. Hewitt potentially in the third round (if Lleyton can get by Rusedski in the 2nd). Also in JB's quadrant are good friends Novak and Krajicek, and (actual) good friend Mardy Fish. Updates are unfortunately going to be few and far between over the next week or so as I am away on business. Silver lining- I should get to see JB on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Kids Day. Will post pix when I get back next week. 8/20/02 JB Promo Schedule It's getting awfully tough to keep up with this guy. Here's what we have on the schedule though so far (more to be filled in): Today- 'Best Damn Sports Show ' appearance (Fox Sports Net) Friday: 1) Appearing on the CBS Early Show, 2) participating in Tennis Magazine and the USTA's event at Grand Central Station, 3) participating in the Nike Fashion show at NikeTown in Manhattan,4) joining Mardy Fish and Alexandra Stevenson for a Dunlop event at the UN Plaza hotel. Saturday: 1) Appearing at IBM's Arthur Ashe Kids' Day event at 10:30am, 2) appearing on court for AAKD with Roddick, Serena, and others. Sunday: Sleeping 8/19/02 Chat with the Champ postponed til tomorrow! Tomorrow at a time TBD over at TennisWarehouse. Click on the logo above to head there for updated info. 8/18/02- Victory!!!!!!!! J. Blake def. P. Srichaphan 1-6 7-6 6-4 By Rachel Nichols He skipped, he waved. He hugged Srichaphan, then ran over to the side of the court to hug his parents, grabbing his mother, Betty, with such vigor she nearly tumbled out of the stands. "I forget how small she is sometimes," Blake said later, laughing. "I was just so happy, I didn't know what I was doing." He had played in two tour-level finals before yesterday but had not won one. Now, he not only has a title but a distinctive one as well; he is the first African American to win the Legg Mason since Arthur Ashe in 1973. "It's incredible," he said. "Any time I'm put in a sentence with Arthur Ashe, it's very significant for me. In my childhood, I was proud to say he was my role model, and now . . . it's mind-boggling, I can't really comprehend what's gone on this week." It has been quite a stretch for the Yonkers, N.Y., native, who rampaged through the draw by upsetting No. 4 seed Alex Corretja in the quarterfinals and then stifling five-time tournament champion Andre Agassi in the semifinals, a performance that ensured his No. 32 ranking of rising. At the time, Blake said it was a nice feeling, but that he wasn't as interested in his ranking as he was in winning, getting the title that has been at the back of his brain through all those years on the courts, all those hours of practice. He might have wanted it too much, in fact. He was nervous when he came onto the court against Srichaphan, the amiable Thai who had his own semifinal triumph on Friday, knocking out former No. 1 Marcelo Rios. And Srichaphan, not prone to nerves himself, took advantage of the situation. He served sharply, played aggressively and worked the soft spots in Blake's game. He favored Blake's backhand, and when that didn't work, he coaxed the young American to the net and then punished him with passing shots. "Every shot was missing," Blake said, and his second set didn't start off much better as he dumped a forehand volley into the net. Slowly, though, Blake seemed to collect himself, winning his own service games, pushing a little more on Srichaphan's serve, until finally, he took advantage of a Srichaphan double-fault to build two break points. He wouldn't need both. On the next point, Blake scooted to a drop shot just before it took its second bounce, and when he shoveled the ball over the net and high out of Srichaphan's reach, he had his first break of the match. The crowd, which had been mostly silent save for a dedicated contingent of Srichaphan supporters with Thai flags, exploded into a frenzy. Blake jogged back to his changeover chair with a 4-2 lead, pumping his fist repeatedly. The celebration turned out to be too soon -- with certain strokes and a serve that could cut glass, Srichaphan refused to fold, earning back the break when Blake dumped two consecutive backhand volleys into the net. "It was still just one break, so I just tried to hang in there, and I had a good chance in the tiebreak," said Srichaphan, who leapt to a 3-1 lead. "But even though I was up 3-1, I still had to work hard, because he's still hanging there, he wants to come back, too." Blake, in fact, rattled off four straight points to get to 5-3, and then at 6-5 sent out a steady serve that Srichaphan returned long. He had the set. He had his confidence back. Both he and Srichaphan pushed each other in the early service games of the third set, but it was Blake who finally broke through in a five-deuce game when he tagged the corner of the court with a forehand, going up 3-2. From there he served out the match, and as soon as Srichaphan's final return floated long, the hugging began. "I'm not touching the ground -- I couldn't be any prouder," said Blake's father, Thomas, who had promised to shave off the beard he has worn for more than 30 years when James won his first tournament. As he stood in the stands, he didn't seem to mind the trip to the barber. "I said the other day that this has been a magic carpet ride. Well, the carpet is still here, and it's wonderful."
8/18/02- DC: JB Takes it To Agassi and is in the Final! By Rachel Nichols Instead, he kept coming, catapulting forehands off his racket, sending insistent serves into the corners and generally refusing to stop until he had claimed a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Only then did he let the gravity of his performance overwhelm him, dropping to his knees and throwing himself onto the court, hands over his head. "Until then, I tried not to think 'I'm playing Andre, and he's such a legend,' that it would mean so much to beat him in a semifinal," said Blake, who will play Thai standout Paradorn Srichaphan in the final this afternoon. "To actually win that match -- you never really think it's possible when you're a kid, watching him win the French Open, watching him win Wimbledon, watching him win every single tournament. It's amazing. To know that I can play on that level, it's big." Not that Blake, ranked No. 32 in the world and rising, was such an outside shot to beat the top-seeded Agassi; he took him to a tough second set the only other time the pair played. But Agassi still loomed large in Blake's mind, and besides, he didn't generally expect to get this far in the tournament. Neither finalist really did -- Blake figured the odds that he'd be out of this draw by the third round were good enough that he scheduled his flight back home for Friday; Srichaphan said that when he arrived here earlier in the week, "I just hoped to win my first match." Yet both certainly earned their way onto the final day of play. Srichaphan defeated last year's finalist, Sjeng Schalken, on the way to his 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 semifinal win over No. 5 seed Marcelo Rios yesterday, and Blake has managed to advance through the tournament without dropping a set. In the quarterfinals, he came from behind to knock off former champion Alex Corretja, and last night he was even more stellar, shooting out to a 3-0 lead at the start of each set as Agassi struggled with his serve, his return and even some of his groundstrokes. "I had plenty of fight, I just didn't have the goods," Agassi said. "He just played better than I did in every department." Agassi added that his trip back from the brink of defeat in the quarterfinals on Friday took a lot out of him. "I needed to come out here and play two great matches in a row, and I just couldn't do it," he said. Certainly, he was unable to find even the smallest chink in Blake's game in the first set, and in the second, he only got a look at some of Blake's pounding groundstrokes after Blake got nervous with a 5-2 lead. "That was the longest changeover of my life," Blake would say later, and he showed it as Agassi finally began winding some momentum with his first break to start a run of two straight games. But while squeezing the second set to 5-4 gave Agassi a measure of hope, Blake was not in the mood to extend his former idol and current mentor a lifeline. Last week in Cincinnati, Agassi told Blake during a practice session that the key to playing in the heat was to slow down and focus, so Blake tried to do just that, and when he sent his final forehand winner a few feet from Agassi's racket, the crowd exploded in appreciation for his dedication. "I heard today that the Thai fans outnumbered [the Chileans] so I'm a little scared about what's going to happen tomorrow," Blake said. "I feel like we're in America, though, hopefully there will be people cheering for me." 8/17/02 - Game On at 7pm! JB takes on some guy named Andre this evening at 7pm. It's like a big match or something. Fox Sports Net is televising. JB has also confirmed he will be doing an appearance for IBM on Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. He will be appearing on court 14 at 10:30am for a little serving exhibition and advice. Read the official press release here. 8/15/02 - Singles in Washington and CHAT JB beat Coria last night 6-3, 7-5 and now faces Corretja, whom he beat earlier this year at the Aussie Open. Also, if you want to speak to JB directly, click on the Tennis Warehouse link in the upper right hand corner to learn more about a chat JB will be doing this Monday at 7pm EST. 8/15/02 - Singles in Washington JB dispatched with Oleg pretty easily yesterday night, and has a surprise opponent today in Guillermo Coria, who upset Gonzalez (the semifinalist in Cincy). They play at 5:30pm. After his singles match, JB then teams up with his brother for their second round matchup against Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett. Also, you'll notice a new link in the upper right hand of the page. Tennis Warehouse has taken notice of JB's popularity and wanted to be a part of the site. So boys and girls, if you want to look like JB click on the link and it will take you to TennisWarehouse, which stocks all of James' Nike and Dunlop gear. 8/14/02 - The Doubles Run Continues JB teamed up with brother Thomas to win their first round match yesterday against Andrea Gaudenzi and Jaime Fillol 6 - 4, 6 - 3. Next up are the 2 seeds, Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett. Today, James plays his first singles match (second round) against Oleg Ogorodov. You can spell Lego with Oleg's first name by rearranging the letters. 8/11/02 - Title Number 1!!! JB and partner/pal Todd Martin brought home the goods today, winning the doubles title in Cincinnati! They beat the three seeds Max Miryni of Belarus and Mahesh Bhupathi of India 7-5, 6-3. See the two with their trophies HERE. Here's the match report from the Cincy website: Blake and Martin Loving Cincy Cheered on by a crowd
that tournament director Paul Flory described as, "the best doubles
crowd in the history of the tournament," Americans James Blake
and Todd Martin cruised to a 7-5, 6-3 victory over the No. 3 seeded
team, Max Miryni of Belarus and Mahesh Bhupathi of India. "I feel a special bond with Cincinnati fans," said Blake, who last year reached the third round here in singles. "I feel I made a breakthrough here last year. Hopefully, throughout my career I'll have a few more breakthroughs here." En route to the championship, the Americans defeated four seeded teams. During the trophy presentation, where Blake and Martin each received their first ever Tennis Masters Series Shields, Bhupathi graciously told that crowd, "I'm just glad they don't play doubles on a regular basis, or else we would be in big trouble." Coming into the tournament Martin and Blake had paired together a few other times, but had a mediocre 3-3 record for the year. They won their first match here in doubles last year, but had to pull out of the second round after Martin got injured in his singles match. This year was a different story. "He made it up to me this week," said a smiling Blake. During their press conference after their win, the chemistry between Blake and Martin was palpable, as the 32-year-old American and his 22-year-old partner joked about their serendipitous pairing. "You never know what's going to happen with a doubles partner until you take a couple of swings together," said Martin, "And we matched up better than I was expecting." Expect to see Blake and
Martin join forces in the future, perhaps even in the semifinal Davis
Cup tie against France in September. 8/10/02 - Damm! JB and Martin don't Suk! JB and Todd Martin find themselves in the final of a TMS event after beating Damm and Suk 7-6(7), 7-6(4) this afternoon in Cincinnati. They play the winner of the Bhupathi/Mirnyi vs. Novak/Stepanek match tonight. This will be JB's first doubles final in an ATP event. Martin has four career doubles titles under his belt. James commented on his partnership with Todd today in an exclusve on this website. He said: "hey, just a quick
update on how things have been going with todd. he's got a heavy first
serve and great returns. i think my mobility helps to cover the court
at net and also while he's at net, i'm usually able to back him up.
we also have different styles since he hits very flat and i try to use
a lot more topsin, so it can mix up the other team. another positive
is that we have a lot of fun on the court, which helps our attitude
and probably makes us play better. so hopefully we can continue to have
some fun tomorrow in the finals." 8/9/02 - TMS Cincinnati Doubles Action JB and Todd Martin seem to have captured some of their Davis Cup magic this week. Last night they beat Black and Ullyett 6/3 1/6 6/4 . Now it's on to face the eight seeds, Eagle and Stolle, in the quarterfinals. It's the last match of the day on the Grandstand court, and will probably be on around 4 or 5pm. 8/8/02 - TMS Cincinnati Round 2 Recap JB got some more TV time last night, and he put on a good show, but unfortunately he wasn't able to add a notch to the win column, bowing out to the 8th seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 4-6. 6-4, 4-6. It was a spirited match from both parties, but in the third set JB hit a few too many unforced errors and it cost him the match. JB teams up with Todd Martin again today to take on the 4 seeds Black and Ullyett. They play in a featured match this evening on Center Court. It seems JB has a good deal of crowd support in Cincinnati, and it certainly seems to pump him up, so hopefully that continues through the rest of the summer! 8/6/02 - TMS Cincinnati Day 2 With chants of "Let's go James" in the background, JB played a great match yesterday evening against Romanian Andrei Pavel, wining 6-4, 7-6. He was down a break in both sets but rallied with his fan support to take each one for the win. He now faces the winner of the Ferrero- Delgado match. For JB's post match presser, head here. Today James partners with Todd Martin to play against L.ARNOLD and R.KOENIG. 8/5/02 - TMS Cincinnati Day 1 JB plays Andrei Pavel
of Romania tonight at 7pm. ESPN comes on the air at 8pm, so there's
a good chance we'll see parts of the match. James also received a wild
card entry into the doubles draw and is partnering with Todd Martin.
They play tomorrow against L.ARNOLD and R.KOENIG. 8/4/02 - TMS Cincinnati Preview JB plays Andrei Pavel of Romania in the first round at Cincinnati. Pavel has had a good year so far, highlighted by a run to the quarters of Roland Garros. He's currently 21st in the ATP Champions race. Not sure if the match will be Monday or Tuesday- most likely Monday. If James gets by Pavel, looks like Ferrero will be waiting in the wings. If you'll recall, it was at this event last year where James made a name for himself for the first time at a major event. He reached the quarters, losing to Rafter 6-7, 2-6. Also, I'd like to thank Tennis magazine for including a blurb about this site in the current issue. 7/31/02 - TMS Canada and Promo Update JB lost against Tim Henman today 6-3, 6-3, in a mach featured on ESPN. JB played well, but just didn't seem to have that extra gear it takes to beat a Top 5 player. Henman played a solid game and moves on. Since JB isn't in the doubles draw it's on to Cincinnati. JB is confirmed for a couple appearances leading up to the Open in August. On Friday, August 23rd he's scheduled for an evening fashion show at the Nike Town in NYC. That same morning he will be on CBS' The Early Show promoting a USTA event at Grand Central Station. More details to follow. 7/30/02 - TMS Canada Update JB laid the smack down on Simon Larose yesterday evening in front of a national TV audience and about 10 people in the stands. He plays Henman tomorrow in what should be a great matchup. 7/28/02 - TMS Canada Preview JB kicks of the N. American hard court season tomorrow facing, who else?, a Canadian national- Simon Larose, a wildcard entry. Seems James has a penchant for facing players playing in their home country (TMS Roma vs. Gaudenzi, French Open vs. Grosjean). He's the featured match on Court one tomorrow night. If JB makes it by Mr. Larose, looks like Tim Henman waits in the wings. JB has never faced Henman. 7/25/02 - AMEX Campaign Update from tennisweek.com The road to the US Open
will feature familiar faces for New York tennis fans. Jennifer Capriati,
Monica Seles, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and James Blake will board
buses in Manhattan during the Open — not as an attempt to produce
a traveling tennis version of The Partridge Family, but as part of American
Express' U.S. Open ad campaign.
According to a SportsBusiness
Journal report by Daniel Kaplan, the 2002 American Express ads will
feature only current players and for the first time will include a television
ad campaign, which will run primarily during US Open coverage on CBS
and USA Network. 7/24/02 - Update JB is spending this week at Saddlebrook getting a little R&R and prepping for next week's Masters Series Event in Toronto. In case you hadn't heard, he is in the current issue of People Magazine. Head to images to see a scan of the page. 7/21/02 - World Team Tennis Results Blake Leaves On Winning
Note James Blake was playing in his last game with the Hartford FoxForce so it was fitting the outcome against the Philadelphia Freedoms came down to his singles match. But pressure situations are nothing new for Blake, who has played in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Saturday, he was at Riverside Park in Hartford. Standing in his way was Levar Harper-Griffith, an up-and-coming American. Blake broke Harper-Griffith to win the set and tie the match, then won the super-tiebreaker to lead the FoxForce to a 19-18 victory before 525. Blake, who won the set 5-1, defeated Harper-Griffith 7-3 in the super-tiebreaker. "He took a very good player and tore him up," FoxForce coach Paul Assaiante said. "That's the kind of thing [Jimmy] Connors would do. These guys come out and they just tear people up and tonight because his back was against the wall, it was the first time we've seen James dig deep. It's unbelievable." The FoxForce were down 17-13 after Blake and Murphy Jensen lost their doubles match to Jonathan Stark and Harper-Griffith, 5-1. "We were down pretty big because of the doubles and they played great," Blake said. "All I had to do was go for my shots in the singles match, take my chances and they were going in." Blake also had to endure a 25-minute delay as a shower stopped play with Harper-Griffith serving. During the delay, Blake kidded with fans, signed autographs and posed for photos. "I appreciate the fans who stayed out here during the rain delay," Blake said. "In an ATP Tour [event] you're hurried into a locker room then hurried right back out. It's a little more businesslike, but there still can be distractions in ATP matches, so I think this can help me." Blake played four matches with the FoxForce this season, the first three on the road. "I had such a good time playing for the team in Hartford," Blake said. "It's a lot of fun. I hope I have a chance to do this more often." Blake has meant a lot to the franchise. Aside from his state ties - he grew up in Fairfield - Blake has established himself as a top American player and mainstay on the U.S. Davis Cup team. This was his second year with the FoxForce (he also played in 2000) and Assaiante had noticed a big change. "It's been great having James," Assaiante said. "He has become physically stronger. He has also become a little bit more mature in his game." Blake signed autographs and posters before the match and was an obvious fan favorite. "We're sad to see him go," FoxForce owner Lisa Wilson-Foley said. "It's been too short. It hasn't been enough home games. Hopefully next year he'll be able to play a little bit more in Hartford. It's going to be fun to watch James play the next 10 years [on the ATP Tour] and hopefully he'll save a little time for World Team Tennis." The FoxForce are 5-4 with five matches left. "Goodbye James," Assaiante said with a laugh. "We'll fight. I can promise you that." 7/19/02 - World Team Tennis Results Blake shows Aces why he's on the rise By Kathleen Nelson Of The Post-Dispatch Rising star James Blake rallied the Hartford Foxforce to a 21-19 victory Thursday night over the St. Louis Aces before a crowd of about 1,500 at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. Displaying an array of passing shots, Blake won each of his three sets, rallying Hartford from a 9-6 deficit. Like Andy Roddick, who appeared with the Aces last week, Blake is one of the up-and-comers in U.S. men's tennis. He finished 2001 ranked No. 88 but has risen in a half-season to No. 28. Roddick and Blake, 22, have played Davis Cup together. "He has been playing so well over the last year," said the Aces' Amanda Coetzer. "He was a tough hurdle to overcome." Blake finished the comeback by teaming with Rossana Neffa-de los Rios to defeat Coetzer and Andrew Florent 5-2. The Foxforce pared the Aces' lead with a 5-4 victory in men's doubles. The set featured blistering passing shots from Blake. After one of them, he whispered a sheepish apology when he nearly took off the head of Florent. To which Hartford's Luke Jensen said, "What do you have to be sorry about?" 7/18/02 - JB's Thoughts on World Team Tennis JB competed in his first match for the Hartford Foxforce yesterday evening in Philadelphia. He played in three matches, winning in singles over Lavar Harper Griffith, winning in men's doubles with one of the Jensen brothers (not sure which), and losing in mixed doubles with Neffa-de los Rios. For the record, Hartford lost the match 20-18. It's on to St. Louis today for a match there against the Aces. JB also offered up these comments to jamesblaketennis.com on World Team Tennis: "I really like any kind of team atmosphere in this individual sport that we play. It reminds me a little bit of college matches, but I also enjoy the fact that it includes the women as an equal partner with the men. The whole atmosphere of the crowd being more active and biased is a lot of fun and more like team sports. I enjoy that kind of fan interaction more than the normal tennis crowd that is more subdued." 7/15/02 - Newport Finals From ATPTour.com Unseeded American Taylor Dent etched his name into the history books with his father Phil after beating top seed James Blake 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to win the Miller Lite Hall of Fame Championships in Newport. The Dents are the only father and son to have won ATP singles titles in the Open Era. Phil Dent, an Australian, won two singles and 14 doubles titles during his career. Dent said: "I'm ecstatic. I happier than I thought I would be. I've never won an ATP title before. I can't describe it in words. James is a great competitor, he didn't play his best tennis in the first but I knew after that he wasn't going to give me anything. My game has improved all around since we played in Memphis." On double faulting on set point in the second set, Dent said: "As I've said all week, I've been working to improve my attitude. I think I just kept a good attitude going into the third and bounced back. My last bad match was in Queen's - I lost to Raemon Sluiter in three sets." Dent celebrated prematurely when he thought he had served an ace wide to the backhand on the ad court on match point. Dent served and volleyed on his second serve and dug out a blistering return at his toes on the backhand side, which just cleared the net. Blake lunged forward but was unable to make up enough ground. Dent said of match point: "I thought I'd won but the serve was called out. It's a little nerve-racking to do that and have to go back and serve. I got lucky on that shot; he hit a good return and I just flicked it in to win." Blake, 22-15 on the year, was appearing in his second ATP final of the year, having lost to Andy Roddick in the Memphis final in February. Blake reached the second round of Wimbledon, losing to former champion Richard Krajicek 11-9 in the fifth set in the second round. Blake said: "I wanted to go for it on my returns but he was serving so well, so it was difficult. He was just too good today. He kept making me play, dumping balls at my feet, chipping and charging... I think these conditions are great for Taylor and when we played in Memphis, those were ideal conditions for me. I grew up playing on indoor hard courts. We will play a lot more times in our careers. Hopefully in a few more finals. "I've improved a lot over the grass-court season. My volleys have gotten better. This loss today hurts; being 0-2 in finals is not something you want on your resume. It's great to be in the final, but you want to win." Blake was disappointed
to not end the Newport jinx, which has prevented the top seed from winning
the title for 26 years. "I would love to break the jinx; it would
have been great to have a New Englander break it. Hopefully I'll come
back next year as the No.1 seed and break it. I love to play here, I
play well here. The crowd treats me great and a lot of my friends come
to watch." 7/13/02 - Newport Semis It's on through to the Finals! Rising
Young Americans to Clash in Newport
James Blake and Taylor Dent guaranteed that when they knocked off their semifinal opponents Saturday, both in three sets. Blake, the top seed, managed to win a thriller against the only non-American in the semifinals, Michael Llodra, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Dent, meanwhile, outlasted his countryman Robby Ginepri 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Having reached the semis here last year and the final in Memphis earlier this year, Blake has said all week that the difference in his game is that he now feels he should win matches, regardless of his opponent. "I think I'm getting more confident with every match," he said. "I have the confidence to go for it and today it worked." Dent started off poorly against Ginepri in his semifinal match, but quickly regrouped, sealing his victory with an easy third-set win. "I was having some bad luck with my footing in the beginning of the match," he said. "I decided not to worry about it if I fell down. I tried to just stay positive. After I broke back in the second, I got lucky on some key points." Blake and Dent have met only once before, earlier this year in Memphis, where Blake won the battle. Sunday's final will be the first all-American final in Newport since 1987, when Dan Goldie defeated Sammy Giammalva. "I think tomorrow's match will be fun," Blake said. "We are all good friends. We've been practicing together this week. It's great for American tennis to see the youngs guys in a final." Blake was one match short
in Memphis of claiming the title, losing to Andy Roddick in the final.
But having gone through that experience, he said he'll approach Sunday's
final in Newport differently: "I have to try not to get ahead of
myself," he said. "That's what happened in Memphis. I started
thinking about winning my first title and how great that would be instead
of focusing on the match." 7/12/02 - Newport Quarters From ATPTour.com: The tournament favorite, Blake, didn't have it easy against compatriot Gimelstob, but managed to hold steady during the most important points. The 25-year-old Gimelstob had six break points in the match, but failed to convert on any of them. "I came up just a little short today," Gimelstob said. "...[But] I'm glad the American boys are doing well. Three out of four semifinalists are American. Hopefully, one of them will take the title." Blake, who will play in his second consecutive semifinals here, said his quarterfinal match boiled down to which player had more confidence. Having risen rapidly up the rankings in recent months, Blake said he now feels sure of himself when he goes for shots. "I've had to play better every match and hopefully, I'll be able to do that tomorrow," he said. Like Gimelstob, Blake said he's thrilled that his pals, Dent and Ginepri, will join him in the semifinals. "I'm really happy for both Robby and Taylor, being in their first semifinal," Blake said. "That's why I like Newport. There are a lot of firsts here, Brian Vahaly won his first ATP match and didn't stop smiling. I won my first ATP match here and my brother (Thomas) won his first ATP match here. Its great." 7/11/02 - Newport, Schedule and Promo Update JB defeated the Czech
Republic's Ota Fukarek yesterday 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, and he now advances
to play Justin Gimelstob in the quarters. Today JB teams with his brother
to face Arthurs and Erlich in the doubles quarterfinals. Also learned that JB was part of a 'New Balls Please' photoshoot while in England. Blake rebounds
in third set to beat Fukarek NEWPORT, R.I. -- James Blake's quest to become the first top-seeded player to win the Hall of Fame Championships was in danger of ending Wednesday until he found his rhythm in the final set and blew out Ota Fukarek.
7/10/02 - Newport Update Top-seeded Blake advances
in Hall of Fame tennis A surprise semifinalist last year, Blake is trying to become the first No. 1 seed to win the title in the tournament's 26 years. He took the first step with a 6-4, 7-5 victory. Blake was broken in the first game of the match. He broke back in the sixth and 10th games, winning the first set when Trifu double faulted. ``I've unfortunately had a bad trend of starting out slowly here the last three years,'' said Blake, a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team and the world's 35th-ranked player. ``I think I've gotten broken here in the first game the last three years. ``Today was the same thing.
I'm happy I made it through it, and hopefully my tennis will get better
through the week.'' 7/9/02 - Newport JB is playing singles today against the Romanian Gabriel Trifu. Yesterday JB teamed up with his brother Thomas to beat Kenney & Russell 7-6(4) 6-3. 7/1/02 - 2002 Wimbledon Wrap-Up JB and his partner Andrew Kratzmann lost today in the third round of the doubles draw to the second seeds, Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. This ends a long trip to Europe for James, who came over in early May for the Rome TMS. Now it's back to the U.S. for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I., where James will be the number one seed. 6/30/02 - Wimbledon Update and AMEX promo work JB and his partner Andrew Kratzmann play the number two seeds, Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor tomorrow at noon (7am EST) on court 14. Recently learned that JB will be featured in American Express' "Streets Campaign" during the US Open. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, AMEX uses personalities from the WTA and ATP tour to promote American Express cards. For instance, it will have a picture of JB holding his card with a tagline of 'Member Since 1999'. 6/26/02 - Twilight ending Unfortunately, James bowed out of his first Wimbledon today (singles, losing to Richard Krajicek 11-9 in the 5th set after a three hour + marathon that ended after 8pm London time. JB made an incredible comeback, coming from two sets down, but just couldn't break Krajicek's serve in the 5th set. Give Krajicek a lot of credit for pulling out ace after ace in tough situations. The sad part is that Agassi lost as well, which might have opened the draw up for JB. And to top it off you know Krajicek will probably have a dead arm his next match. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson- Dowh! We'll see how JB does in doubles. He and Andrew play South Africans Jeff Coetzee and John-Laffnie De Jager tomorrow out on Court 19. Check out JB's post match press conference in the media section. 6/25/02 - Tabloid Time!!! Ahh England, home of the manufactured quote and the 200 yard topless shot. So let's take advantage and take what we read with the proverbial grain of salt. This comes from the Hindustan Times: Blake,
Male Answer to Kournikova
The newspaper noted Blake's sideline as a model and said while Blake was posing for the photograph, Pete Sampras leaned out of the players canteen to shout "Work it, James, work it." Blake said he was single. "Travelling around means it is very difficult to keep a relationship going," he told the paper. "Of course, I would love a girlfriend but it will take someone pretty special." Blake reached the second round after opponent Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina quit with an illness after losing the first two sets 6-2 6-2. 6/25/02 - Wimbledon Doubles Round 1 JB and Andrew Kratzmann won their first round doubles match today against Kitinov and Landsberg 7/6(2) 6/3 6/4. Added a short piece by Bud Collins for The Independent. This couldn't be a legitimate tennis website without something from Mr. Collins. 6/24/02 - Wimbledon Round 1 JB won his first match today against Mariano Zabaleta. Alas, no TV coverage since it was on court 4. JB won 6-2, 6-2 retired, apparently due to Zabaleta having the flu. He is on through to face former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek. A few pictures from the match have been posted in the Images section. Stil waiting for an interview transcript. Not coming, I guess... 6/23/02 - Wimbledon JB plays his first round singles match tomorrow at noon. Portions should be seen on TNT's coverage which starts at 7am. JB is also in the doubles draw with Australian Andrew Kratzmann. No big news here- Andrew asked JB if he wanted to play, and he responded yes. 6/21/02 - More from the Stoke Park Club Exo Although James ended up losing all three matches he played at the exhibition, he says he was happy the way his ankle felt, and the matches offered a great warm-up for Wimbledon next week. Today he lost to Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-3. 6/20/02 - Stoke Park Club Exo James played his first match at the Stoke Park Club yesterday, losing to Max Mirnyi 6-3, 7-5. James said he was trying to test out his ankle, and get his timing down on the grass, since he hasn't had a chance to practice on it much. He said the ankle felt good, and he felt increasingly more comfortable on the grass as the match went on. Today he plays Nicolas Lapentti. 6/12/02 - James will be featured in two separate Nike campaigns this summer. He is part of a summer brand print campaign that will be launching at any time. James will also be the exclusive endorser of a new line of Nike clothing set to launch in conjunction with the 2002 US Open! jamesblaketennis.com has learned that it will be an 'updated' retro John McEnroe signature line of clothing. (I have been assured the shorts won't be too short, fortunately). JB will be donning the apparel during his Open matches. More exclusive NEWS to follow soon! 5/29/02 - Post-match interview added following Round 1 win at Frech Open. For a great site dedicated to both James and Thomas, head to http://www.stomps.org/Blakes/. 5/1/02 - USA Tennis Month & Chat The “USA Tennis Rock & Rally” events will celebrate the outdoor tennis season and the USTA’s USA Tennis programs, designed for everyone who wants to play. More than 60 markets nationwide have committed to hosting a “USA Tennis Rock & Rally” event. Jams Blake, Andy Roddick, Ashley Harkleroad, and former MTV personality Daisy Fuentes and rock band Sister Hazel will be on hand to help kick off USA Tennis Month with a special "Rock & Rally" to be held today - May 1st - in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza. Not in the tri-state area? You can still be part of today's festivities - Andy, James, Ashley and Patrick McEnroe will all be taking part in a chat on USTA.com beginning at 12:30 pm ET. Come back to USTA.com at noon ET to enter the chat and start submitting your questions before the guests arrive! Find out more at USTA.com.
4/12/02 New Dunlop Racquet! Just learned that JB will be switching to the Dunlop 300G in Monte Carlo. For more details on the 300G, head here. To see James in action with the new frame, head here. 4/9/02 Download a JB wallpaper image.
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