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ATP MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 22, 2006

James Blake

GREG SHARKO: Thanks for taking the time to join, our writers that will be covering Wimbledon next week, the next two weeks, that is. Good afternoon and thank you for joining in for today's conference call with James Blake who joins us from Wimbledon. James will be making his fourth appearance at Wimbledon where he enters ranked a career-high No. 7 and coming in as the No. 8 seed. Last year James Came into Wimbledon ranked 102 in the HP Rankings. This season James has won ATP titles in Sydney and Las Vegas while reaching Finals at the ATP Master's Series, and in Indian Wells and in Queens last weekend. He's also helped the U.S. to the Davis Cup semifinals where they will play Russia in September. We'll open up to questions.

Q. Just as Greg just said you're coming in with your career-high ranking, you lost to Lleyton last week at Queen's Club, but you've also never done well here. You lost in the first round this year, you must be coming in with a lot more confidence this year based on what you've been doing?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely feeling more confident. Years past I feel like I totally changed my game for grass and now I don't know if that's necessary. And this last year is kind of the first year I didn't, where I didn't feel like I needed to serve-and-volley on everything and chip-and-charge.
Last year, I just wasn't playing that well, but I think that the game plan is much better now and so it showed this week -- or last week at Queen's; that I really do hope to have more success this year. But obviously on grass there, there's still a chance guys can be serving huge and playing good. I could still lose in the first or second round, but I feel much more confident and much more prepared to go deeper this year.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about the match with Andy and how that helped you in terms of your confidence going in and where you see him and his chances for the tournament?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, really helped my confidence. I've never beaten him in a Tour match, and to beat him on grass is incredible where I had felt like it was my worst surface and his best surface. I had to play one of my best matches against him and taking some guesses on his serve, and it happened to be going right for me. I still feel like he's the second best grass court player in the world after Roger, and I feel like he's the favorite going in. He's obviously got tons of confidence at Wimbledon after the last few years. I just practiced with him today and he's playing really well still. Really important to him making another great run here.

Q. Do you think in terms of the situation with Roger at Wimbledon coming in, do you feel like it's a situation where even with the touch matches that he had in Halle, he's the No. 1 favorite on grass?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, he's the overwhelming favorite. He hasn't lost in 40 matches, but also has never made the finals of the French Open before and played a ton of tennis coming into that, and maybe didn't have quite as much time to get used to the grass. I think he's going to have plenty of time to prepare for Wimbledon now. He'll be ready and he is definitely an overwhelming favorite. I mean, winning three times in a row, it's the way it was with Pete Sampras coming into Wimbledon, as well.

Q. A little research of your history on grass, if I'm not mistaken, I think you played your first grass court tournament at Newport, is that accurate in, 2002, maybe 2001 even?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, maybe, I don't know.

Q. And you got to the semifinals. After that, did you start thinking too much on the stuff and now you're back, have things gone full circle maybe?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely in the beginning especially with Newport and how soft those courts are, I was just serving-and-volleying and attacking and just like old-style grass courts players played, just serve-and-volley, chip-and-charge.
The grass here in England isn't like that. You can play from the baseline, you need to mix in a little more approaches. But this is the first year, this and last year are really the first times I'm playing my normal game and I feel good about that. I don't think I start thinking too much. I think I finally did start thinking, and it's a good thing to feel that way and to feel some confidence. I'm glad I had some success at Queen's last week to give me the confidence now to keep playing that game and feel good at Wimbledon.

Q. As you progress through the tournament at Queen's, does it every day feel a little bit better, obviously, losing to Lleyton, that's not a terrible thing, but did you look up one morning and go, wow, I've got this thing figured out?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely, I don't know if I quite have it figured out but I've got it figured out more so than I did at the beginning of the week. I think it helped me play those two Davis Cup matches on grass. I was a couple points away from beating Fernando Gonzalez, one of the better grass players, made the quarterbacks at Wimbledon last year I was close to beating him three straight sets and obviously extremely disappointed with him in the locker room after words. What I talked to Brian, he just mentioned the fact that I obviously know how to play on the stuff since I'm playing well with some of the best grass court players. That helped me and now playing well in Queen's, made a huge difference in the confidence.

Q. Having just played Andy and just practiced with him, how would you characterize his spirits heading into Wimbledon?
JAMES BLAKE: He's fine. I think we're all doing well. We've been hanging out. Like I said, I practiced with him today and he was fine. A little upset a couple times when I got his serve back but we all had a good time. We were watching the soccer today, Scott Humphrey and all the guys, we're going to play some cards tonight, we're still all in pretty good spirits. We're all in much better spirits on this stuff than we were on the clay court.

Q. Andy his serve holding was sort of a given for a long time and on grass it's obviously a monstrous weapon, but do you think the guys sort of figured out Andy's serve to some degree in the last year or two?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, I think on clay it gives the guys opportunities to back up and there are more guys that can back up and do that. I'm not the type of player that can do that but he kind of got lucky and, you know, have time to guess a lot of times on his serve because I'm stepping in on that and it might help me just the fact that I know him so well and we played so many times that I seem to be guessing right a little more.
But then now he knows, I'm kind of reading his serve, so I'm sure he'll change it up and he did today in practice and it's much better. I don't know if guys have figured it out, but it's pretty impressive to figure out that serve. There are some of the serves he hits, you have no chance to out guess that. I think it's just a matter of lost a little confident early in the year, and the guy has been playing well and when you've got that target on your back for so long, guys are just going to play well against you.

Q. Thoughts on the issue, women should be paid the same at Wimbledon, they do play the best-of-five, what do you think?
JAMES BLAKE: Oh, man, you're going to try to get me in trouble in the locker room, aren't you? Whether they should be paid the same -- when I see matches like that some of the matches that we have that are going four hours and five hours in the first and second rounds, even my matches, I don't know how long, it was at least three and a half hours over two days, some of the women's matches being one and one early in the round, there are so few matches with the men where the men are really not pushed. It seems like we are on the court for more hours and if that's what they are basing the scale on, if it's just hours on court, they should be paid more.
But also it needs to be looked at how the tours are run and how we are paid and how the events that are not combined with the women's and how they are paid. I think there's a big difference in the men's prize money at our normal events and their normal events, so then to compare them equally at our combined events is somewhat unfair to us because I think our Tour has been built on the reputations and the games of the John McEnroes, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borks, all of the sponsorships and deals came from a lot of that, and those guys were not getting paid the same that we are now. They are the ones that we owe so much to because they paid their dues and we are reaping the benefits. It seems that the women are also reaping the benefits right now with the equal prize money debate. So I don't feel like they have the same kind of start-up that we did with the work with the McEnroes and Connors and those kind of guys. It's tough today because obviously they are playing the same sport, but it's interesting that there's the debate in tennis; whereas in basketball, no one is going to argue if Lisa Lesley deserves the same pay as Shaquille O'Neal or Mia Hamm deserves the same pay as Len Donovan or anything like that. That's somewhat interesting. I feel like that won't get me into too much trouble in the locker room.

Q. I read before, you talked about you like to listen to music for five or 10 minutes before the match, what are you listening to now?
JAMES BLAKE: I listen to a lot of Florida stuff because I used to listen to, not heavy stuff, but like the hard core stuff, 50 Cent, Eminem and tough to get me fired up now usually a little more calm, McGraw (ph), Dave Matthews Band, Howie Day, just things like that, light stuff that keeps me pretty calm. Once I get out there, I know how to fire myself up. I don't need the stuff to get me fired up right before.

Q. Can you talk about being in a career-high in your rankings and all, the success you've had this year, has all that made you appreciate it much more considering where you were two years ago with the injuries and the illness and how far you had to fight back to be here where you are now is it?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely appreciate it much more. I appreciate really everything, just the fact that I'm out there playing and enjoying it and knowing. I always felt like I didn't take things for granted when I was younger, but I also was under that same youthful craziness that you feel like it's going to go on forever and now I know that it's not. I can get injured, I can get sick, anything can happen, or, you know, I just start losing steam a little as you get older, that happens to a lot of guys, your body starts breaking down.
So I'm now very conscious of the fact that it's not going to last forever. So I'm really trying to appreciate every match I play, every practice, every time I'm out on the court and you know just hanging with the guys on Tour and being in new cities and everything. It's something that I appreciate so much more now knowing that there is a finite career and I might not be out here forever and it's just something that I definitely may have taken a little for granted when I was younger, and now I don't at all. Maybe I really do appreciate everything, and it is so exciting for me to keep seeing my ranking get better and better and seeing just one number next to my name is pretty crazy. I never thought that would happen.

Q. Was there ever at any point during your low time where you thought, you know, I may get back in the top 40 or 50, but it may not happen for me; you know, if these things keep piling up, or were you always confident that you could be back to where you were?
JAMES BLAKE: No, there were definitely times there, there were times I thought I might never play tennis competitively again. There were times when I was coming back and starting to feel better that I questioned whether or not I was going to be able to get the Top-100 again, because I really didn't know how healthy my eye and vision and everything was going to get because it had become so blurred and they said those kind of things could take three years to get better. I felt like I was healthy but I wasn't positive and I didn't know it would hold up to the test of seeing 130-mile-an-hour serves.
I started feeling like it was getting better to the point I was hitting with my coach; he hits a much slower ball than the guys out here on Tour do, so I was anxious to see how it would hold up, and in the first four or five months it was still getting better I think when I was back on Tour.
So I was having trouble and struggling and I played one match or I played well but then I really struggled with my confidence. I just didn't have it to be consistent at that level until it just started getting better and better slowly. Then I got back. But there were definitely times I didn't think I would ever get back and I would find a way to figure out if I would be happy still to just be a normal guy and not being a tennis player. I think it helps me a lot now knowing that I have friends that will keep me happy and other things in my life that will keep me happy without tennis.

Q. I was going to ask you, you always seem to be playing your best when you're stepping into the court, not necessarily going into the net, but just stepping in, trying to get the short ball. I wonder, on grass are you more conscious of that, do you try to just get inside the baseline more? And the second question was, the Agassi quarterfinal last year was such a big event at the Open, was there any match this year, either a win or a loss that you really gained a lot from?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, first question, I definitely feel like I'm more effective when I'm moving forward and that's just something that I've talked many times with my coach is that when I'm moving forward, whether or not I'm coming at the net if I'm just stepping in as if I were going to finish the point at the net, I always end up playing better, and on grass that's definitely something I do. It's just on grass, you do it a little more so than you would on clay or hard, and on clay, you do it a little less than you would on hard. It's just minor adjustments on that that do make a difference and I feel like I'm doing that pretty well on grass right now and hopefully will continue to at Wimbledon.
In terms of the match that I learned from this year, I guess possibly the Fernando Gonzalez when I was up two sets to love, it was extremely frustrating, but it was a match that I played my best, did what I could and I just got beaten by a guy who started stepping it up and playing great. I let it slip maybe a little at the end when he started cramping and I couldn't put him away, but he played well. The best thing I learned was that I could turn it around from that. It wasn't a question, I wasn't going to get discouraged and get him to bring my whole year or too many months down. I just turned around and try to get better for the next matches. That's what I felt like I did, I had my best showing at the French Open and felt like I learned a lot on clay, and I feel like I turned it around as quick as possible after that.

Q. Is the support you get at Wimbledon, it's not as big as the Open, but if your mother is from over there, do you notice the difference and the support compared to like the French or Australian or anything?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, somehow I feel like I've gained quite a few fans down in Australia, I guess I played the popular hand a few times and that's broadcast nationally there. Wimbledon is great support, definitely more so than French, maybe that's because my last memory of the French now is playing the French guy.
But now I definitely feel like at Wimbledon they support me a lot, maybe it's because I'm half English and they have enjoyed my game the last few years, I don't know, but I think it helps, the fact that I'm half English.

Q. You talked about your ranking and how wonderful that and is congratulations on it. Is it fair or would a tie-breaker fair to say that there's more expectations from you now, more pressure, do you feel that at all?
JAMES BLAKE: No, I don't feel it. I understand that it is there. I understand that people are expecting more and it's funny to hear people talk, reporters anyone, say, you know, how much further can it go, you know, he's still on the ride and all that kind of stuff. There's really only six more spots to go, so it's interesting for me to hear people say that I can still go higher.
I was always thrilled to people say that I could go higher from 20 or 15 or wherever I was. I don't know, I never really know whether I can go higher. I feel like I'm still getting better, but obviously everyone hits a plateau at some point and I just don't know when mine is going to be. Most hit it younger than I am right now, probably but I feel like in tennis years I'm younger, because I didn't start until a little late and I also had basically a whole year off in 2004.
I still feel like I'm learning a lot out here, so I think I can get better but I don't worry too much about people saying those kind of things because there's always people going to be saying that I can be better and saying that I overachieved and I never would make it this far. Someone is going to be right and someone is going to be wrong.
I'm not going to be wary about that because I don't set any predictions or goals or anything like that. I just try to keep getting better and do the best I can. If that's not good enough for some people, then that's all I can do is apologize and say I did my best. And I'm not really going to feel bad about it, because I have done everything I can to play the best tennis I can. And so I understand there's pressure, especially being American, they look for champions, really, and luckily we have one in Andy Roddick, we have some other talented players in Mardy Fish, Taylor Dent, and hopefully I'll be good enough to beat everyone but I know that's pretty much impossible.

Q. Maybe you can come over here and play hockey and give answers like that, too. I've got one last and I apologize for it. Forgive me, but are you coming to Canada at all this year?
JAMES BLAKE: I'm planning on playing in Toronto.

Q. Good stuff.
JAMES BLAKE: I think that's the only Tour stop this year is in Toronto.

Q. Again, forgive my ignorance, is it a fun stop for you, I'm not sure if you've been here before or not?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I was there once before. I'm actually really looking forward to it this year because I hear there's a new stadium, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. Last time I played there, it was good, it was great weather and a fun place to be. I remember it was pretty good food, really nice hotel and actually one of my friend, one of his best friends lives there sew showed me around a little bit and it was a good time. I'm also friends with a hockey player from there, Steve Moore, who played for the after large and played at Hartford. So I was actually pretty good friends with him.

Q. His mother bother, Mark, just released a hockey book on it, we're doing a review on it this week.
JAMES BLAKE: Oh, really?

Q. They are doing well considering -- I know you probably heard what happened to Steve?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, yeah.

Q. They are rallying around them so that's nice to hear. Thank you for your time. When you're talking about last year trying to get that ranking up and having to play challengers and taking wild-cards and stuff like that, is that a humbling experience for a guy like you?
JAMES BLAKE: I tried not to look at it that way. It definitely is interesting, but I tried not to look at kit as I deserved more or anything like that because I know a wild-card is really a privilege. I don't have feel like people deserve to complain if they don't get wild-cards. It's kind of ridiculous. It's totally at the Tour director's discretion.
And when I was getting wild-cards and playing challengers, I looked at it as a challenge just to prove to myself that I could do it again because I've been through these one time before, and this time I want to get through them even quicker and I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I'm proud that I did, but I tried not to look at it as, you know, it's humbling because I know that it's still something that every kid dreams of is getting through those and playing tennis for a living; and I was still doing that even if it was in much smaller arenas, in front of much smaller crowds and for much less money. It was still a sport I loved and I tried to really appreciate that.

Q. Last year in Cincinnati getting the wild-card and playing Federer in the first round, that's a situation you're not going to have to deal with this year, how nice is that going to have to be not having to play a guy like that the first round and be seeded?
JAMES BLAKE: Definitely it's a great feeling to be seeded. You feel like you can get a little sigh of relief. Again I was seated in Hamburg and had to play Carlos Moya in the first rounds, former French Open Champion.
So it's not like there's always easy draws. There's not a red carpet for seeds always. I know there's some dangerous floaters out there, there's Marat Safin who has been battling injury and he's coming back now and he's ranked around 80 or 90 in the world, Mardy Fish is coming back from injury; and those kind of guys are very dangerous, so I know that. But it's nice to know you're not playing Roger or Rafael in the first round.

Q. Have you spoken to Agassi on what you think his chances are at this tournament and what you think of his form?
JAMES BLAKE: I actually only spoke to him briefly at Queen's. He had a tough draw. Again, he's seeded and had to play Tim Henman first rounds, so that's pretty dangerous and he lost there.
I just talked to him for a little while there. He said he's feeling good on the grass and enjoying it. And he's healthy, he looked very healthy. So once he gets very -- if he gets a couple matches I think, once he kind of gets rolling like that, he could be very dangerous. The bigger question will be to see if he can get through those first couple of rounds, and he does, if his body is holding up, he's obviously not intimidated by anyone. So he could be dangerous to anyone in the draw.

Q. I'm working on a piece on Metz (ph), so you're probably not thinking about that right now but does the leg have any special meaning to the tournament because of your comeback and career trajectory?
JAMES BLAKE: Definitely has a special place in my heart. I beat Agassi there, which I still consider one of my best wins to win a match in the semifinals and get my first title with my mom watching and my dad watching, my best friends was there. It's such a good feeling to do that. And then going back there last year having some more success, making it to the finals and that being kind of the springboard for my summer where I started doing really well. And playing another one of my really good friends, Andy Roddick, in the finals, and having a title in the final in one place is definitely gives me a good feeling, gives it a special place in my heart and I'll definitely be back there again this year.

Q. Are you hoping for a rematch with Andy in the finals?
JAMES BLAKE: That would be a lot of fun. I looked at the entry list and saw some pretty tough names. We'll both have to play pretty well to make that happen but that would be a whole lot of fun. I love playing Andy, especially now that I actually have a win over him, and it's great, it's much more fun to play him in the finals than in the early rounds.

Q. Would you like another chance at Lleyton Hewitt, as well?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, he's an extremely difficult player, especially here on grass, where I think it's the same on surface. I definitely have a better chance against him on guard, he's proven he's a champion but I would love to get another shot at him.

Q. Talk a little bit, I completely forgot about your English ties. Two things, does the LTA ever approached you about becoming a Brit; and two, do you tell people about what your mother, what she did, growing up in England?
JAMES BLAKE: The LTA, they never really approached me. I joked with Henman early on in my career that I was British and he didn't even know. He joked that I could be a part of their team. But I expressed pretty quickly that I was just kidding and I'm half-English but I grew up in America and the USTA has helped me out so much, I would never feel right coming over here and living.
In terms of my mom, she grew up here, she actually moved away when she was about 17, she grew up in Bambury, in Oxfordshire, but her father was in the war and unfortunately shot down. So they didn't have much of an income, so their only option was actually to move to the States with my mom's older sister, who was getting married at the time to an American, and so they moved over to the States.

Q. But she is British, born in England?
JAMES BLAKE: Yes, born in England, lived there until she was 17. She was just about finished with high school.

Q. So your grandfather died in World War II?
JAMES BLAKE: That's nice of you to say about my mom's age, but it was actually World War I.

Q. We lose track.
JAMES BLAKE: My mom's a little older than most moms of kids my age.

Q. Obviously you have risen very much to a place of prominence in this Wimbledon which wouldn't have been the case in the past, I suspect this story will be revisited by the British press.
JAMES BLAKE: What's that?

Q. I'm assuming we haven't for obvious reasons focused on you pre Wimbledon stuff in the past, but this year, you're kind of a marked man, so I suspect that this story will be revisited in the British press.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I hope so.
GREG SHARKO: Thanks again for your time.fs

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