Quantcast
nodot nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase
January 26, 2009

Subscribe to Match Reports

Pro Tennis Showcase Archive

Player Profile Index (Men)
Player Profile Index (Women)

Contact Tennis Server

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase Banner
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
2009 Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia - January 26, 2009
Editorial by Jane Voigt.
Photography by Harvey Rubin.

 

Jane Voigt Photo
Jane Voigt

Blake Out in Quarters... Again
 
January 26, 2009 -- James Blake has never made it past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. This major could have been different, given his preparation. But it wasn't. Blake lost in the round of sixteen to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga tonight 64 64 76 (3). So what's the deal?
 
Last fall, Blake knew he was exhausted. The tour schedule was thrown for a loop with the Olympics in Beijing scheduled at the beginning of August: smack dab in the middle of the summer hard-court season. Blake played back-to-back Masters Series tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, then flew halfway around the world to China, and then back to New York City for the U. S. Open. After Blake's quarterfinal loss to Roger Federer at the Open, the die was cast. He suggested a rest to his coach Brian Barker. After 17 years of coaching the American, Barker could sense the exhaustion and agreed. The Olympics was probably the event that broke his unfaltering spirit. He missed the Davis Cup semifinal against Spain plus the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, which would have required another trip halfway around the world to Shanghai.
 
His only tournament before the Australian Open was Hopman Cup in Perth, which is on the west coast of the country. When Blake started his run in Melbourne he looked refreshed, rested and classy in his new clothes from FILA. Blake had always been a Nike guy. The shirts with sleeves and collar blended will with his style.
 
Blake danced his way through the first three rounds, no problem. But today, he hit a familiar wall. Broken in the first game of the first two sets, he went ahead 5/2 in the third and then lost in a tiebreak. The ESPN commentators ragged on James from the booth. They wanted him to stand back from the baseline. Tsonga served monsterly. Patrick McEnroe wondered why Blake wouldn't back off and give himself more time to return. They pounded him as hard as Tsonga pounded his serves and forehand. Blake wouldn't and didn't budge.
 
Blake took the ball early and screamed it back at his opponent, as much as possible. He came out, though, with only one plan in mind -- which is the usual pattern for him. Today, however, his opponent out hit him. Blake was successful at the net -- 76% -- but didn't use that strategy with any consistency. The threat of a huge return from Tsonga was very real. However, on second serves James should have looked to approach. He's quick, athletic, and has good hands.
 
Maybe Blake didn't want to make any changes. Maybe he thought that if he broke through and beat the Frenchman it would be on his terms. As mentioned, Brian Barker and James have had a long-term relationship. Barker has given up a chunk of his private life to raise James on court. No one can deny Barker's extraordinary contributions to James. However, relationships -- in sports and otherwise -- tend toward isolation. A certain exclusivity develops. Perhaps James should consider a change? But the bigger question is: Will it make a difference in his ranking? And does James want to make a move?
 
Blake has a winning record against seven top-ten players. Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray rose in the ranks in 2008. Blake defeated Del Potro last in Las Vegas in 2007. And, Blake beat Andy Murray in the round of 32 at the 2006 Hamburg Masters Series. Those are his only encounters with these two rising stars. It's unlikely James would defeat them today.
 
Blake's record in Davis Cup is impressive. He's 20-9 overall since he was named to the team in 2001. In singles he's 17-8. The United States team won the country's 32nd Davis Cup Title in 2007, its first since 1995. He has honored his country and his teammates. James also played exceptionally well in Beijing, scoring wins over Roger Federer and Gilles Simon -- one of the hottest talents last year. When country pride and teamwork are central to a tournament, James Blake is the man to have on your side of the net.
 
He broke through his dismal 0-9 record for five-set matches in a night thriller at the 2007 US Open against Fabrice Santoro, too. Since then he's won three of four 5-set matches, bringing his lifetime record to 4-10. Progress can prove slow to some. Perseverance is a positive characteristic for Blake.
 
But the truth might be that James Blake can't produce better results than the quarterfinals of a major. His play wavers during a match. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground where his consistency is maintained or a change in strategy lifts him past an opponent. He either finds the zone or struggles. His shot selection is right-on intuitive or bizarre, as if he has slipped into another galaxy of tennis. Only a very few possess the hidden element to win big and often. Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Don Budge, and Rod Laver come to mind on the men's side. Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratalova come to mind on the women's side.
 
We wanted to see him in the quarterfinals of this Australian Open. We wanted to see him smile more. There's nothing better than a happy James Blake, given his injuries and courageous comebacks especially in 2004. He could prove all of this wrong at any upcoming tour event. That's the mystery of tennis and competition.
 

 
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d [13] Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) (white headband) 63 62 64
 
Tennis - Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis - Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis - Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis - Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis - Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis - Rafael Nadal
Tennis - Rafael Nadal
Tennis - Rafael Nadal
Tennis - Rafael Nadal
Tennis - Rafael Nadal

 
 
[2] Serena Williams (USA) d [13] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (white visor) 36 42 retired
 
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Victoria Azarenka
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Victoria Azarenka
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Victoria Azarenka
Tennis - Serena Williams
Tennis - Victoria Azarenka
Tennis - Victoria Azarenka

 

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Player Profile Index (Men) | Pro Tennis Showcase Archive | Player Profile Index (Women)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TENNIS SERVER PHOTO FEED

join our mailing list
* indicates required

All Tennis Server photography is copyrighted by the photographer and/or the Tennis Server, and all rights are reserved. You may not copy these images without permission. While you are welcome to create hyperlinks to Tennis Server web pages, you may not embed these images into other web pages or blogs without permission. To request permission, please use this contact form. Please be sure to clearly indicate exactly which photograph(s) you are requesting permission to use, as terms and conditions will vary depending on the photographer and the photograph.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy