	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 16, 2007

James Blake

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When is the last time you think you were serving that well?
JAMES BLAKE: I don't know. It's tough to say. Probably been a while. I don't know. Can't really pinpoint it right now. But it's a good feeling, definitely great. Especially since I hadn't hit many serves in the last week or so because of stomach injury, but I felt great tonight.
I knew I needed to do that to beat Juan Carlos. Last year he served great against me at Wimbledon. I was really concentrating on focusing on my serve. When it was coming in so well and I was kind of holding comfortably at times, it made me feel a little more free to go after his serve. That gave me some opportunities to take some chance on the second serves and take some chances during the points and it paid off tonight.

Q. You've been pretty happy with the way you've played this whole tournament. Did tonight's match feel connected to the first two, or the first one, or does it feel a little detached?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, it just feels like it's getting better and better. First match I started out a little slower and I was very tentative and nervous about the stomach. Second set started swinging more freely and got better. Yesterday felt great.
Nicolas doesn't always give you a ton of rhythm when he's serving well so I didn't feel as good yesterday as I did today, and now it's just gotten better and just better each match and more and more comfortable with the stomach being healthy and more and more comfortable with my serve.
Taking chances on other guy's serves. I think that's two matches in a row without getting broken. For me that's a great thing since I don't normally have an overpowering serve or a serve that gets me a ton of free points.
It's a good feeling and it shows that I'm playing great to back up my serve.

Q. After that first set, did you have a feeling then that this is going to be a good night for you?
JAMES BLAKE: No. It's tough to say because that could easily change. When I played so well in that first game to break him that felt good. I always feel wary of the fact that I've played unbelievable and I've played against guys who have played an unbelievable first set and then one or two things goes wrong and it can really get in someone's head that they're not going playing as well and their level can really drop off.
I did that earlier this year against Moya. I've come back from that happening to me against Haas. So I wanted to make sure in the second set it was really important to get off to a good start. I had those two breakpoints in the first game, and that would have been a great start. But not letting that effect me was the biggest thing.
When I held those next few times, that was the biggest thing for me: To make sure I was still playing my game, still playing aggressive, and not letting my level drop at all.

Q. What will it be like to go against Sam's serve again tomorrow night?
JAMES BLAKE: It's another match where there's not a ton of rhythm. There's times when you can get served out the games and there's times when you can play a couple good points and still have no chance in the game. But you just got to take advantage when you do have some chances, when you get a couple second serves when you get your looks on his first serve and then concentrate on holding serve.
Last time I played him it was three tiebreakers and I held every time and lost the match. That's tough to deal with, but if he has to do that again I can just tip my cap and say, Great playing again. There's not much I can do better than hold serve every single time. I'll try to do that tomorrow, and if he can come up huge again then not much I can do about it.
But I need to maybe play a little better. Maybe take a little better care of my serve in the tiebreakers than I did last time. But like I said, he played great so there was not much I could do. Hopefully this time I'll be able to assert myself a little more on his serve.

Q. Was it nice to beat Juan Carlos for the first time after losing the previous three times?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, it was a great feeling. He's an excellent player, and the times I played him it felt like he's played some of his better tennis. I know he's been No. 1 in the world, so he obviously has it in him to play great against anyone or any given day.
Just seemed like he had played really well the times he had played me, and especially serving really well the last two times. This time I wanted to take some chances on his serve and be able to focus on holding and attacking him and it worked out.
It really is tough out here to beat anyone a number times in a row. Because you maybe get just a tiny bit passive or you think you're going to win in the back of your mind because you won a couple in a row. It really just is so tough because the guys are so good out here. There aren't that many that guys that I have an 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 record against. Now I got one and it gives me a little confidence the next time I play him to be able to play that well and get another win.
But it's definitely good feeling when a guy has beaten you a few times to get one back.

Q. On that one point where he ran you really wide on the forehand side, you ran all the way back and hit a cross-court winner. How much of a lift did that give you?
JAMES BLAKE: That was a lot of fun. That was very lucky. Because when I hit it I was like, Oh, darn it. I didn't think I got there. I kind of barely even turned around and saw it go by him, and the look on his face was kind of surprised and couldn't believe that it happened.
That was pretty funny to me. I really didn't think I made it when I hit it. I didn't think I got enough on it. I thought it was going to go into the middle of the net. Just got a little lucky. That's one that it would have been great to get that break. I actually got up Love-30 but served really well, and that's why he's had so much success on the tour. He didn't get let that get to him.
It was clearly a lucky shot. A lot players might have let that get to them because they thought they won the game and they were ahead and the point. He didn't let it get to him and played great. That's something that shows his mental toughness. I'm sure guys in the locker room will notice that, and it's a credit to him.

Q. Beyond tomorrow as match, how well is Sam's game built for an ascent on this tour?
JAMES BLAKE: I think having that kind of a weapon is huge. Makes a big difference. He's someone that doesn't seem to get that nervous. He doesn't let the moments really get to him. He just goes after his shots and keeps playing his game, which I think will favor him in the long term.
Having a serve like that gives him a lot of free points, which can help with the longevity of his career. It's kind of weird to be talking about that when he's only 19 or 20 years old. But it really does help to get a lot of free points.
He's going to do that in his career, and I think he's got tons still to improve, which is probably scary to a lot of the guys that are in the middle of their career and are planning on seeing him for a long time.
He's a good kid and I think he's got a lot improving to do, even though he's already top 60 in the world. I think it's just going keep rising. I don't want to put too much pressure on him because that's unnecessary for a guy that's 20 years old. But in my opinion he's got a great future.

Q. Have you gotten to know him at all? I know he's only been on tout for a bout a year, but just being another American have you gotten to know him?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah. I've gotten to know him pretty well. Before he had this kind of success even when he was still a junior he came out and hit with me when I was visiting a friend in Chicago for a week.
He kind of jumped at the chance. I needed someone to practice with, and I flew him in. I needed someone that was willing to work hard and practice with me to get ready for Australia, and he jumped at the chance and was just a great practice partner for an entire week. We had a lot fun. He's a good kid.
Just couldn't be a more happy-go-lucky, just not in awe of anyone, but just happy to be around the guys and happy to be one of the guys. He cracks us up at Davis Cup. He's been a practice partner probably more than anyone because we have just such a good time with him.
He's there to work hard and just happy to laugh at himself, happy to laugh at others, happy to just hang around the guys. That's a refreshing attitude that he's got.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297