PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 12, 2002

James Blake

MODERATOR: Questions.

JAMES BLAKE: First set I was pretty patient, played a good set, for this court being so slow. Feel like I kind of controlled the points on my forehands. Instead of hitting winners, I was trying to move him a lot and hit heavy. Second set I got too relaxed or too patient, started going for too much too soon. He served well, gets a lot of confidence from his serve. He obviously improved to put more pressure on me. I didn't respond with my same game plan. I changed and tried to do too much. The guys out here are too good to do that against. You've got to stick to what your best game is.

JAMES BLAKE: Yeah. Just couldn't quite get it back. I felt like I had chances. Even when I was down 5-2, I still had that breakpoint chance. He came up with a really big serve. Definitely I struggled to get it back. It's not only me out there. There's someone else making me do that. Jan-Michael served well, played well, to make me struggle to get it back.

JAMES BLAKE: I think I played -- I mean, he played a little better, I played a little worse. That's what happens. It's just a few points. The match in Memphis was pretty close. He had a set point in the second set. Definitely could have gone either way. I am a little more comfortable indoors seeing that I grew up indoors. It's probably going to take me longer to have as much success with these guys who all grew up outdoors than it will for me indoors. I think just having that comfort zone indoors where I felt like I can continue to play my game and not rush anything, not go for too much, makes a little bit of a difference here, and 5% of a difference means the difference out here between a win and a loss.

JAMES BLAKE: Yes.

JAMES BLAKE: I think just here. Florida, it's been kind of a long trip for me. If I don't do well in singles, I'd like to take a break. If I do well in singles, I'll be pretty happy, as well.

JAMES BLAKE: Not really. I just kind of miss home every once in a while. I want to go back, if I get that chance. Hopefully after Miami, I'll also have the opportunity to be with the Davis Cup team that next week. So it's a long trip. Since I've only been out here a couple years, I'm probably not as hardened of a veteran as a lot of these guys who can go a month or two, three months at a time on the road. I'm still on that learning process.