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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 13, 2006

James Blake

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for James.
Q. Different result from last time.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah. It's good. Good to get a little revenge. He's a great player. I've had some success against him on hard courts. Didn't happen last time. But he played a really great match. That was one of those matches I started out slow, never really picked up any speed.
Today was much different. I mean, I've seen some of his results. It doesn't mean anything to him if he's lost to a player, if he's beaten a player, he's going to go out and do his best. He's flipped it around very quickly, losing to a player one week and beating them the next. Not really scared.
I knew my record against him before last time wasn't going to faze him. I tried not to let last time faze me. He flat out beat me last time. I had to try to do the same to him today.
Q. Conditions favorable? Sort of cool. Ball staying lower.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, definitely. I think the faster the court, the better my chances are against him. He's a guy that likes a lot of time, standing a little bit further behind the baseline and attacking kind of on his own times a opposed to really making something happen.
He takes a little longer to create points, I feel like. Faster court, the hard courts are going to help me a little more. The Rebound Ace down there was a little slower. That's not an excuse. He beat me.
Today, like you said, the conditions might have been a little better, but I think I had a better game plan, a better focus, and luckily better execution as well.
Q. The little drop-off before your resurgence lately, how do you have explain that?
JAMES BLAKE: "Little drop-off"?
Q. The Australian.
JAMES BLAKE: I don't even really think about it. I mean, losing two matches to me isn't that big of a drop-off. I mean, I won a tournament in Sydney. I lost third round, held my seed at the Australian. Came back here, won two matches in Davis Cup. I lost to two guys that played great tennis. Then I won another tournament. I don't really consider it that big of a drop-off. I feel like I'm playing pretty good tennis so far this year.
I don't know what my record is, but I've only lost, what, like four times so far this year maybe. I don't know. Four? Yeah. I don't know.
If that's considered a drop-off, I feel like I'm doing something very right. 'Cause I always laugh at the times people say, you know, Andy is having a terrible year when he's No. 3. Tiger Woods is having an off year and he's at the top of the Money List, and winning 10 tournaments. I think that's a positive thing to me.
I always kind of laugh at it and take it as a very positive, that means people are expecting so much of you, the bar is set so high, that's great. I mean, I know a year ago or two years ago or three year ago, if I'd lost two first rounds in a row, nobody would consider it a drop-off, nobody would be considering it at all.
The fact now I'm ranked where I am, I've kind of I guess earned that stature of being expected to win every first round, then I'll take it as a compliment that that's a drop-off.
Q. It was meant as a compliment.
JAMES BLAKE: Thank you. Appreciate it.
Q. Tommy Haas, you haven't lost to him, 2-0.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, he's a great player. That first one was kind of tricky. I know his shoulder was bothering him in Memphis when I played him the first time. For me, that's when I was so hungry to get wins, I was so excited, playing some of my best tennis. That was the first time I made it to a finals. His shoulder is bothering him. He was serving about 90 miles an hour towards the end of the match. That one I think we can throw out.
Last year at New Haven was really just a great match. It turned on a couple points here and there. I played a couple of unbelievable points to kind of scrap my way to a break in the second, the same early in the third. I just served great. After he really just, I mean, absolutely outplayed me in the first set. He beat me I think 6-1 in the first set in New Haven. There wasn't a whole lot I could do.
I'm really happy that I managed to stay focused after that. I know a few years ago I might not have. I might tried to go for too much, out hit him. I didn't do that. Played my game. My serve came in a little better. He started making a couple of errors. I took my chances, and it worked out for me.
Basically I feel like I'm 1-0, and I just squeaked by it. It's going to be a tough match tomorrow, whenever we play. He's one of the best players so far this year. He did great in the Australian Open. He's won two tournaments. He's an exceptional player.
All three matches, even though he didn't have a serve in the first one, I played him once at River Oaks, too. But every time we've played, it's been a lot of fun tennis - a lot of shot-making, a lot of spotting your serves, a lot of kind of changes in tactics. Both of us feel comfortable moving to the net, both of us feel comfortable at the baseline. It's going to be a fun match to watch, hopefully a fun match to play. They generally seem to be when you're playing with the confidence I've been playing with lately.
Q. What's the difference, a player like Tommy Robredo, steady player, then you play Tommy Haas, who has more weapons, how do you adjust?
JAMES BLAKE: First of all, anybody who perceives Tommy Robredo not to have any weapons, I'd like them to go out there and serve to his forehand, because he can hit that like a weapon and he can use that very effectively.
I understand what you're saying that Tommy Haas hits the ball a little bigger, has got maybe a little bit bigger serve. I have to continue playing my game. Like I said, he absolutely outplayed me the first set last time we played. He has that ability.
Not that Tommy Robredo doesn't. He outplayed me in Australia. But Tommy Haas possibly has a few bigger shots. His forehand is huge. His serve, when it's on, it's great.
I have to adjust by not letting him do that, not letting him do that to me.
Tommy Robredo, I still try to take time away from him because he's a guy that likes time and does have a weapon if he has time. If he doesn't have time, it's much tougher for him.
Tommy Haas, I think most guys are similar. Outside of Federer and Agassi, if you're going to take time away from people, it's going to be tricky. I'll try to take some time away from Tommy Haas and take advantage when I have my chances. I feel like if I can do that, I can be effective. That's what I've done against him in the past. Hopefully I can continue to do it.
But like I said, he's playing with a ton of confidence. He's won two tournaments. Did very well in Australia. He has been at No. 2 in the world. He definitely isn't intimidated or anything by whatever ranking I'm at or the fact I've won two tournaments. I know that all gets thrown out the window as soon as we walk on the court. He's going to be ready to play and use those weapons against me.
I'd like to think I've got a couple of weapons as well and I can hopefully -- hopefully mine will be more effective than his.
Q. Did you get a chance to talk to Robby after his match today?
JAMES BLAKE: I didn't. I haven't talked to him. Assuming he was laying low today. I think he's got doubles tomorrow. I'm sure I'll see him around tomorrow.
Q. What do you think is going on with him? Seems like he's in a tailspin.
JAMES BLAKE: I didn't see the match yesterday. I saw the score. It was 6-4, 6-3. The first set was tough. The breaker looked like it was 6 or 7. That's tricky. Paradorn is a great player. Also kind of streaky. He can play great tennis and then go off for a game or two. If he played a good tiebreaker, that's too good. When you don't have a ton of confidence, to come back from a set down, especially such a close one, it's difficult to do. I know Robby has the talent.
It's funny, my brother, my coach and I were talking a little about it today, just thinking, if he gets a good draw in Miami, he could still be very dangerous. He's a very talented player, has worked hard.
I don't know what's going on. It's such a tricky thing, this sport, how quickly things can change. Last year around the US Open, DC, LA, after that, it was amazing how many things that you don't think about as much after a match, a let cord here, a breakpoint played well, a double-fault here or there from your opponent, were going right for him. I think it's just a matter of confidence. Then those little things going wrong right now, that can be the difference between playing top-10 tennis and playing 80-in-the-world tennis.
It's such small differences that that can turn into five losses in a row in a hurry. Without him really doing too much wrong. He lost to Goldstein in Las Vegas. I watched most of that match. Goldstein played unbelievable. That's a guy a lot of people wouldn't think, again, wouldn't perceive to have a lot of weapons. But when he's not missing a ball, the conditions are a little tricky, it's windy, it's altitude. It's a tough match to win.
I haven't seen too many of his other matches. I saw the end of his match in Australia where the guy was serving better than I've ever seen the guy serve, even though that's really only the second time I've seen him play. It's just tricky when you're a target and guys are playing that well and you don't have that much confidence. That's a recipe for a couple losses in a row.
He's also the kind of kid that I think can turn that around in a hurry, can put it out of his mind, and tomorrow come out and rip it up on the doubles court or in Miami where maybe the pressure might start to be off, when everyone is going to say he's going to lose first round, he's lost a couple in a row. You saw how dangerous he was last year when people kind of counted him out. He faltered for a while. He tore it up and was in the top five in the world the last six months of the year last year. There's no reason he can't just start that run next week in Miami.
Q. Do you think that not getting a nod for Davis Cup was...
JAMES BLAKE: I hope not. He's someone that does deserve a chance to play for Davis Cup, I think, or he has in the past. It's tricky. When you got guys that are so close, I mean, our rankings have flip-flopped so much between me and him, who's been higher, and Andre wasn't playing. I think Patrick has a tough decision, but I think the luxury of having a decision between two guys that are playing pretty high level of tennis.
He just happened to go with the fact that I had won Sydney, I did pretty well in Australia, I had that much confidence. It's a tough situation, but I feel like Patrick still has that luxury right now between I think Andre has made himself available, I'm playing pretty well right now. If Robby goes out and wins Miami, he deserves to be on the team. I'll support him and cheer as much as I can because Patrick has that luxury of a few guys that can be the No. 2 spot. Andy is locked in at No. 1. We have quite a few talented players behind him, whoever is the hot hand. I mean, it's like having Michael Jordan and then you get your role players. You pick the hot hand. If it's Steve Kerr, Craig Hodges, whoever, you pick that hot hand. At that time I was the hot hand. I'd like to think I'm going to continue doing well here and possibly Miami and keep being the hot hand and hopefully Patrick will keep putting me in.
We had a lot of success in La Jolla. Hopefully whatever the team is has success in Mission Hills. I'd like to be a part of it. If Robby goes out and wins Miami, I'm happy to sit on the sidelines and cheer for him. It's just kind of the role that we're in.
I also know that it's kind of a privilege to play for the United States right now. I remember when I was growing up, the team being guys that are one and two in the world, Sampras and Agassi or Courier or Chang. I mean, if you're not in the top 10 in the world, you don't even think about playing US Davis Cup. Now I'm in a situation where I've played as I've been ranked 20 in the world, 30 in the world, 40 in the world, and I've gotten an opportunity to play. I take every chance I get to play the Davis Cup as a privilege and an honor, not something I deserve to be in or feel like it's my right. I'm lucky. I mean, if I was in the era with Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Mal Washington, Todd Martin, I might never have even gotten the chance to step on a Davis Cup court. I'm so lucky I've been able to do that. I just keep trying to represent them as well as I can. I know Robby would do the same and feel privileged to be out there.
Q. Do you really believe that about Todd and Mal? Are you just being kind?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, I mean, my record against Mal and Todd I think is 2-0. I'd like to think I could beat them. I'm kidding. They're two of my really good friends. I don't know. I mean, those guys are unbelievable. That's the best generation of US players we've ever had, I think.
I mean, so many things could have been different. The racquets were a little different. There's no luxalon (ph) back then, I don't know if I would have been able to hit my forehand quite the same. So many things could have been different. I have no idea. It's so difficult to compare eras, but that was a pretty good one. I know that.
Q. Could you briefly talk about your game on grass.
JAMES BLAKE: Sure. Unfortunately I don't feel like we have that long to figure out our game on grass. It takes years. I think I'm still figuring it out. It's something that I felt good towards the end of the grass court season last year when I was just starting to play well. I think when I started on tour, my goal was to get to net as quickly as possible, just keep moving in, keep moving in. Growing up, that's what you see at Wimbledon. You see Sampras do that all the time. You think it's easy. Pete made it look a lot easier than it really is. Especially today's game, I think the grass courts have slowed, the balls have slowed a little bit. When you see a Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian final in Wimbledon, you know things have changed. Those guys are playing from behind the baseline. It's possible. You see Andy Roddick being the second best grass court player in the world over the last few years, he's doing it without serving and volleying all the time. He's doing it from behind the baseline and still ripping his forehand. I've gotten a little more comfortable doing that and being able to still play my game, just making smaller adjustments for grass instead of completely changing my game. I used to change string on it, I used to completely change tactics. I don't think that was the most effective way for me to play. Now I feel a lot more comfortable with the way the grass courts are playing now.
Q. You have a new racquet this year. Are you still tweaking it?
JAMES BLAKE: Still tweaking it. It's feeling pretty good right now though. It's something that's in the work with Prince. They've been unbelievable to me to help me with keeping it extremely similar. But now I'm making adjustments to improve it.
I'm happy. I hope they can continue to improve it because right now it's feeling pretty good. It's been a process. They've been great about not pressuring me. They've been great about kind of letting me do whatever I want to do. Obviously it's not done with all the graphics right now. It's all black. They've been letting me do that. It's great. I'm happy to be part of the Prince family. I really felt unbelievably welcomed when they announced I was joining the team. They did it as a surprise to the whole group of dealers and the supporters of the Prince team and the head pros had a meeting at Saddlebrook. They made a whole video. They announced it at the end. They had no idea I was sitting in the back of the room. They were cheering like crazy. I never felt more welcomed in my life. It's great to be a part of the Prince family. They really make me feel like that.
I'm hopefully going to continue using that racquet for years and years to come.

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