US OPEN

September 7, 2006

James Blake

THE MODERATOR: Questions for James.

Q. Tough battle, James.
JAMES BLAKE: Is that a question? No, thanks, appreciate it.

Q. Pleased with the ability to get out there and come back, take that third set? First time you've taken a set from him. First set he's lost in this tournament. Do you take pride in that?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I mean, to a certain extent, yeah, I take pride in the way I fought. Down two sets and a break. He's serving for it. I mean, I felt slightly discouraged, but I didn't want it to show. I wanted to show that I can still fight and there's no reason why I can't fight back.
I almost did it. It was definitely a match where I felt like I didn't play terrible. I didn't play my absolute best, but he probably didn't either. I didn't play badly. I played all right. It's tough to lose when you're playing all right, but it's a good feeling to know that I'm close to Roger.
First time I took a set. A wise man or, well, maybe not a wise man, just Todd Martin told me if you win one set, you can win two. If you can win two sets, you can win three.
I was one point away from winning a first set, too. I guess he's human.
He's playing great. Not to take anything away from Nikolay, but I think Andy, the way Andy is playing with his confidence and his serve, he's got the best chance to really take it to Roger and stop him from getting his ninth here. Otherwise, he's looking pretty good. He does so many things so well.

Q. Second set, after the tiebreak, it seemed like you became tentative, tight in the second set. Was that self doubt?
JAMES BLAKE: I don't know. It was so quick. I don't remember much of it.
No, I mean, similar to I think I've lost three sets 6 0 this year and two of them were to him. They both strike me as similar. If I didn't move my feet absolutely precisely, I'm gonna miss a couple of balls. The balls I do get to hit are not gonna be with the same force of my other shots. Once he looks at those, uhm, I mean, it's like Michael Jordan looking at an open jumper, he's gonna hit it every time, put it by you. It's not a fun feeling when you're not playing your best tennis and he is.
So he just took it to me. I'm happy the way I regrouped in the third set. But he still kept kind of putting a ton of pressure on me. Even when I'm playing offense, he plays defense so well that he makes you if you're a little down and a little upset, you are not gonna win because he plays defense so well, too. You feel like you go for winners, he's gonna make you play more and more balls. It's tough if you don't have your confidence.

Q. If the essay question at Harvard were what makes Roger Federer such a good tennis player in a hundred words or less
JAMES BLAKE: How many words?

Q. Hundred words or less.
JAMES BLAKE: There's just too many things he does well. He doesn't panic. He plays offense unbelievably well. He plays defense better than anyone I've ever played. He makes so many gets, and when he gets to it, he doesn't just put it back; he puts it where it's difficult for you to hit the next shot. Volleys well. Serves well. Handled the pressure of being No. 1 in the world. He's handled the pressure of being against a crowd tonight that was clearly on my side. He handles that very well. He obviously puts pressure on himself to succeed, and has handled all that. Got the biggest forehand in the game. Seems to be able to create pace out of nothing.
That a hundred words or less? I could keep going probably, too.

Q. There were a couple moments late in the match where you seemed to just look up and kind of take in all the support and almost smile, I think even at tough times. Could you recreate what you were feeling.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, well, you know, I was down on myself, in that second set especially. Before the match, I talked to my coach. We thought about it, and there are times you just have to say "too good" and move on, be happy with the way you're playing, be happy with knowing it's your best effort.
In that third set I got down, but it was still my best effort and I was fighting hard. Kind of seeing that emotion in the crowd, seeing the people that did stay, people that were so excited, that were cheering for every shot I made, wanting to see more tennis, wanting to see a fifth set, you know, it does make me think of the times when I was talking to my coach about that and it also made me think of guys like Andre Agassi who tell us all, appreciate those moments. You never you're never guaranteed another one.
I hope I have more of this kind next year, maybe with me on the winning side. But you never know. I can surely attest to someone's career can end in a heartbeat, and Andre's is over. I'm sure he never saw that coming. We all think we're gonna live for ever. We all think we're gonna play tennis for ever. It's the moment, you know, I won't forget.
It's frustrating two years in a row being a quarterfinal loss when I'm talking to you guys, but it's still something that most people don't get to do. Most people don't get done with their day of work and have 20 text messages and ten phone calls from buddies saying they watched you on TV or watched you from the crowd and really just supporting you and cheering for you. Most people don't have that in their job. I can appreciate that.
And I can appreciate the fact that even in a tough night like this, my friends still had a good time. They're probably well, I'd say quietly celebrating, but I know my friends, so raucously celebrating somewhere at a bar in New York. Just having a good time. I'd like to think I had a pretty good part in that. That's something that's important to me, that those guys are appreciating the times when I'm, even if it's not as well as I'd like today, when I'm still doing pretty well.

Q. What kind of year do you feel you've had? And will you be meeting them at that bar?
JAMES BLAKE: (Laughing). What kind of year? It's been a good year. I wish it had been a little better in the Slams, but I did the best I've ever done in the French Open, in Wimbledon and here. So I definitely think it could have been better, but that just makes me so optimistic for next year, the fact that I did the best I could, the best that I ever have in those three and people are still expecting more. That leads me to believe I still got some potential.
I got some work to be doing. I can even get better and hopefully get into the second week of the French, of Wimbledon. You never know. If Roger's not on the other side one of these times, maybe I'll get even farther here.

Q. I know the crowd helped you tonight. Do you think it helped him in that he's the No. 1 player in the world, it was his first time playing in Ashe stadium, not that he needed any extra motivation, but perhaps he wanted to show that perhaps he should have been there earlier?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, yeah. I mean, I guess it kind of comes with the territory. This year I'm not sneaking up on anyone. Last year I was a wildcard. I had done well before. People might have thought it was a fluke. Might have thought I was tired from the summer. It's not a secret anymore I can play pretty good tennis.
So he, I think guys like Federer, Nadal, Ljubicic, Nalbandian are gonna get up for a match against another top 10 player. I don't think he really needs any excuses to get fired up for a match. I don't know if it helped him, but that's another thing he does well is he handles it great.
I feel bad at times not that bad but people are cheering for double faults, or at the end there when they were clearly just emotionally wanting to see a fifth set. But he handled it great. I mean, I think the most you ever saw was maybe him looking back, and that's it. He just doesn't get rattled. That's yet another thing he does well.

Q. Clearly, the crowd's emotional and excited and tremendous. Do you think it's a fair crowd also?
JAMES BLAKE: Most times, yes. Tonight, I did hear them cheer for a double fault. That's, you know, borderline. But I really didn't hear much during points or anything. I've been parts of Davis Cups where, you know, they're yelling as an overhead goes up a lob goes up, you're ready to hit an overhead. They're coughing as you're getting ready to hit a serve. I didn't hear much of that. I've also been told by some of my friends, Did you hear this, Did you hear that, Did you hear that, and I realize, No, I didn't notice that.
I might not have noticed, but I felt like it was fair. I didn't think there was much going on during the point once we were ready. That's my definition of a fair crowd. Anything in between the points, have fun, have a great time during those breaks. I'm generally not listening to it much anyway, and I'm just focused on what I need to do on the next point.

Q. Coming into the tournament, you were the top American. Talk about that feeling.
JAMES BLAKE: Great feeling. Uhm, another feeling that's gonna end, I think it ends already because Andy probably passes me in the rankings. He's playing great tennis right now. He deserves that. He's handled this role very well for years now. I know he'll be comfortable right back in that situation. I hope we get to the situation where he can be our Mariano Rivera again in that fourth match. In Davis Cup if we're up 2 1, he's our closer. He's ended the tie every time he's had that opportunity. So looking forward to that.
But it was a great feeling for a little while. I hope I get it done. I know Andy is going to make that pretty tough, and I'm just proud to have had that honor, shared with guys like Roddick, Courier, Sampras, Agassi. I'm pretty proud just to be a part of that list.

Q. Did you ever think you were getting to Roger tonight a little bit? I thought he looked a bit worried from time to time.
JAMES BLAKE: Really? I never see did his heart rate ever go up above about 60? He doesn't look too worried to me.
I definitely feel like I maybe worried his game. I don't think he got that nervous, but, I mean, having set points in the first set, coming back the way I did in the third set, and then making an attempt to come back, having a breakpoint at 5 4 in the fourth, I definitely feel like he felt my presence. It wasn't just a walk in the park for him, I'd like to think. I don't know. He might come in here and say he just played terrible in the third set; I don't know.
But I definitely feel like I let him know that I can play. I hope he knew that already in seeing my results. But if not, I feel like I did the best I could, and it was close tonight. It wasn't there, but the way he's playing, I feel like he's he is legitimately a level above me right now. That's not to say I can't beat him on a given day, but there's definitely work to be done and I need to play better if I expect to be on that level consistently.
No one's been on that level lately, so I'm not ashamed to say that. I heard something on ESPN about two weeks ago saying Tiger Woods is gonna pass Michael Jordan as the best athlete of our time, and I think that's a joke not to take anything away from Tiger Woods because he's unbelievable best golfer. I'd make a case for Roger Federer being the best athlete of our time, not tennis player, athlete. I mean, Tiger's won 11 majors, but him in that match play situation and I don't think he's won he's won maybe two of those where it's a tournament where you have one bad day and you're out.
That's what we do every single week. Roger has I mean, is winning every Grand Slam except for the French, winning every Masters Series tournament. That means he can't have one bad day. I mean, that's incredible. Not to mention he has to be out here for four hours running as opposed to walking while carrying one club not taking anything away from golf. Tiger is an unbelievable athlete. He's proven himself every Sunday every time he has a lead.
Look at Roger's record in finals, too. Grand Slam finals, he's 8 1. That's unheard of.

Q. Basic athleticism, hand eye coordination?
JAMES BLAKE: So many different ones in tennis, as well. It seems to me, if he keeps going at this pace, I don't know how people can argue. I am by far the biggest Michael Jordan fan I know, anyone around. I've had both my bedrooms in my houses painted Carolina blue. I got Bulls jerseys. I still have Michael Jordan posters up in my room. Roger is, I think, the best athlete if he keeps going at this pace.

Q. Next step for you is the Davis Cup. Talk about it once again.
JAMES BLAKE: Excited about that. I've never been to Moscow. Should be interesting. Looks like the Russians are playing pretty well right now, Safin, Davydenko and Youzhny. Especially Youzhny beating the Bryans in doubles. But their streak had to end at some point. They made every final in the Grand Slams for the last like seven or eight. They're allowed to have one bad day. I know they'll be fired up in Moscow.
That's a great sense of security for us that we feel like we're already up 1 0 with the Bryans. It's a matter of me and Andy trying to figure out a way to get two wins on clay. I have a feeling we can do it, but I'm sure they're going in confident. They're playing at home. They're playing some of their best tennis ever. Safin is looking back to his top form. Davydenko is obviously an unbelievable player, in the top 10 last two years. Youzhny is playing great.
So we're gonna have our work cut out for us. I'm really excited and I can't wait to be a part of that team again.

Q. Joining those friends?
JAMES BLAKE: We'll see. Depends how easy you guys let me off. If you let me get out of here on time, maybe I will.

Q. Thank you, James.
JAMES BLAKE: You guys are the best (smiling). Now I will join them.

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