AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2003

James Blake

JAMES BLAKE: I feel like I learned from that match last year, which is what I'm trying to do pretty much every match, learn from it and get better. Last year I was up two sets to love and a break, Stefan kept fighting. I might not have expected that. At this level, I've learned that everyone's going to keep fighting, as Jose did today. I think he a breakpoint against me to get that third set back. I learned that I got to focus on each point and still win the match. I can't just expect it to be handed to me. Today I feel like I did a pretty good job of that. He played some good tennis, you know, with nothing to lose towards the end. I managed to get through that. I feel like I've learned, learned my lesson. I'm sure I'll learn that lesson again some other time throughout my career. I think everyone goes through that. But I feel like today I did a good job and closed it out well. Now I got to go play some doubles and get ready for my next singles match on Saturday.

JAMES BLAKE: I feel like overall just my return of serve has gotten a little better. I think it still can be improved. I'm playing defense a little bit better. When guys can attack me, I feel like I can get the point back to neutral a little bit better. I do that a little bit smarter. My serve, I feel like it's still a little -- a little more inconsistent than I'd like it to be but it's gotten better from last year. I just, you know, keep trying to end points at the net or with my forehand. It's just I'm executing my game plan a lot better than I used to be.

JAMES BLAKE: Well, confidence, definitely helped. Winning matches is always going to help your confidence, especially over the No. 1 player in the world. That's going to make a big difference. You know, beating him in Australia when he's gotten me a few times in the US, that felt pretty good. I'm happy Paul McNamee gave me a chance to play there. He does such a good job running that tournament to make it as much like this tournament as possible because he runs both of them. Playing with Serena was a lot of fun. I think she surprised some of the guys with how well she was returning. She surprised me a little bit. It was a lot of fun and made my job much easier to know that I had that first point in hand after she won her singles every time, took all the pressure off me. We had a good time, you know. We're both pretty laid back, you know, people, just having a good time. It was a lot of fun.

JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, it's two people that are about as opposite as they can be. Alberto Martin is a very steady player, moves really well, plays smart, doesn't really have a whole lot of weapons, just can serve pretty well, gets a lot of returns in the court. Just really makes you work hard for every point. Then there's Fernando Gonzalez, who can hit possibly the worst shot you've ever seen, then the best shot you've ever seen in a span of 20 seconds. He's gonna go for everything, he goes for his shots which, you know, actually makes it easier, just somewhat smart. You don't have to think about whether or not you're going to hold back. He just goes for everything. It makes it really tough. He takes the control away from you. I mean, you can control it if you're serving well, but otherwise he's really in control of a lot of the points. His forehand is about as heavy as it can be, just taking rips at the ball. It makes you somewhat play ugly, and you have to kind of scrap out a few points and just try your best to get back on the offensive. So, you never know. I mean, it's two totally different players. We'll see which one comes out on top.

JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, that was a fun point. Really thought I was gonna be pretty frustrated if I lost because I felt like as soon as I got up to that dropshot, I really should have won the point. He made some great hands -- just hands gets. There really wasn't any other place I could go by the time I got up there. I couldn't take it away from him. He played it smart to be there. Then once we got into just the normal rally, I knew whoever won that point was going to be pretty important, because that could change the momentum a little. I think it was a 30-all point. Those are always very important. I think maybe he's -- you know, he just got a little frustrated that he was still in the point and went for a little too much. I was more than happy to accept that gift. It was fun. I'm glad -- I'm sure the crowd enjoyed it. That's always part of the fun. You know, we're also entertainers. I'm glad they were entertained.

JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely. You know, he's probably my best friend on tour. We've been having a great time in the off-season, working really hard at Saddlebrook. I was hitting with him last week in Sydney and then here in Melbourne. He's playing great. I think he's beaten up on me both those times. He just looks like a totally different player from last year. He's returning great. I've always thought he was, you know, a solid player. Now he's just proven how much better he's gotten and how much he's improved. I told him, you know, at the beginning of the year that he's in exactly the same position I was in last year, around 70, 80 the world, with chances to move up. You kind of don't know your schedule, whether you're going to be in challengers, all tour events. He said, "Yeah, but you're already up to 20 in the world." I don't see any difference with him. I think he's going to keep moving forward. Beating Carlos Moya twice is, you know, pretty impressive. That shows that it's not a fluke. He knows how to play this game and he's got a huge serve, an unbelievable backhand. When he's hitting his forehand well, he's definitely very tough to beat. I couldn't figure it out in practice last two weeks so I'm kind of glad he's on the other side of the draw right now.

JAMES BLAKE: I don't feel it too much. I think Andy took a little bit of pressure off of all of us with carrying that burden on his own. We were all hearing, "Where's the next generation of American tennis when Sampras and Agassi retire? What's gonna happen?" But Andy carried that burden by himself for a little while. Then we just kind of snuck up on people, myself and Taylor and Mardy. We've -- we kind of have no pressure on us, now we're playing a pretty high level. I think as we get better there will be more pressure, you know, to kind of replace those guys, even though they're still two of the best in the world right now. I think that's great. I think that kind of pressure is just an opportunity. That means that, you know, there's so many people watching us, wanting to see what we do, hopefully cheering for us, some against us, I'm sure. That's just an opportunity to do something great I feel. I want to experience that and hopefully want to come through that and learn from it.

JAMES BLAKE: More of a motivation to win the Davis Cup, for all of us get better, you know, have a great chance to win the Davis Cup. I'm never going to cheer against Andy or Mardy or Taylor, any of those guys that are my good friends. I want them to do well. I want to do well. Then I want us to come together and play Davis Cup and appreciate the trophy together, that we worked hard to get it, and we did it all being friends and while having a great time.

JAMES BLAKE: Well, I can't really speak for other people, you know, in the past, past Americans. I really can't put myself in anyone else's shoes because I don't know their schedules, what kind of time constraints they have, how their bodies react to certain things. I don't know about that. For me, I know that I'm going to be available for Davis Cup any time I'm asked. That's so important to me and so much fun. I love being a part of that team. To me it seems like Andy seems the feel the same way, Mardy feels the same way. We have a great time playing that Davis Cup. It would mean a lot to me to get a Davis Cup title with Andy and Mardy and people who I know have worked hard for it, and we've done it as friends, we've done it together. And, you know, I don't know what the reputation of America has been in the past, but I feel like we can be guys that really are excited to play in the Davis Cup and we're going to be, I think.

JAMES BLAKE: Pretty happy. I think, you know, he's a legend. I don't see any reason for him to be pressured out of the game or anything. I think he's done everything, everything possible to deserve the right to go out on his terms. You know, I think it would have been a story book ending to win the US Open and then in a speech say, "I'm going to ride off into the sunset." But if he doesn't want to do that, if he wants to play another Wimbledon, keep playing more of these little tournaments and can get excited about a Memphis or San Jose or something like that, that's phenomenal after all these years and all the things he's accomplished. I'm very happy for him. He seems extremely happy with having a new baby. Maybe now he's getting tired of changing diapers and wants to get out on the road, I don't know. But he's earned the right to do whatever he likes. He's also proven that he can still be at the top of the game by winning the US Open. I wouldn't count him out of Wimbledon at all for the next ten years or so. I mean, with that serve, it's just -- he's always going to have a chance.

JAMES BLAKE: You never know. I really doubt anyone would have seen me while I was, you know, at school and worrying about academics. I didn't think I was going to be -- do this well, especially this quickly. So, I mean, it's kind of tough to say. There could be some guys in college that are just working their tails off and getting better and gonna be late bloomers. Right now, it seems like Andy, myself, Taylor, Mardy, Robby Ginepri, Bogomolov is starting to do great. I worked out with him a lot at Saddlebrook throughout the off-season. I don't know if people know about him too much yet, but I think he's going to be a really good player. Then from there on, it's guys like Jeff Morrison, who is a really solid player. I think he's improved a lot. Otherwise, I don't really know as well some of the Juniors, like the Brian Baker, I know Rajeev Ram has done pretty well, I don't know Brian Baker too well. I've heard he's got a great game, he won the Orange Bowl I believe. I don't know, there could be some more guys. I hope there are - make our Davis Cup team even stronger.