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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 1, 2008

James Blake

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously Radek is never easy, just a tough out, isn't he?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, very difficult player. Maybe doesn't play as conventional as a lot of the other guys. He can move forward very well and defend very well. He's faster than he looks. He serves very well in big spots, I feel like, so he can be tough.
That's why when he's healthy he can be tough and he can beat great players without a whole lot of surprise.

Q. You were hitting your backhand really pure and nice today. Almost better than your forehand.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, well, let's not get too carried away. Definitely know where I'm making my money is on the forehand side. But the backhand felt great, especially on the returns.
He served so well that I had to maybe take a few more chances, especially when he started coming in a little more, getting them down at his feet. I was going after it, hitting some really good passing shots. You could see that kind that was his strategy, to make me pass him on the backhand side.
I was going to try to make him pass me on his forehand side a little bit more. My backhands were coming in maybe a little bit more than his forehands. It was kind of our strategies dueling. My execution came out little better today, but last time his came out a little better in LA.
We'll see how it goes next time, too.

Q. Do you think in Florida with the wind and humidity you're better acclimated?
JAMES BLAKE: Could have helped. I think a lot of it has to do with game styles. He hits the ball very flat. When you're hitting it that flat it makes it much more difficult to control in the wind. I put more spin on my forehand and can maybe control that a little better than his in the wind. So I think maybe that helped me a little bit against a player like him.
But then you take a guy like Nadal who puts so much spin on both of his sides, whether or not he grew up in wind, he might be a little more kind of acclimated for it.

Q. You don't have a great track record in this tournament, James. Do you feel like things are different for you this year?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, it's kind of where I got my first ever little breakthrough when I beat CÃ£nas and Santoro here in had to be '01 or so.
So I have fond memories, even though I haven't had the best results. I try to go back to those when I'm out here. But I know I haven't had the best results. Maybe it's getting used to it from Palm Springs, coming from the desert or whatever, thinner air. I don't know exactly what it is.
I definitely haven't had the best results here. One of the things I can't really explain, but this year is hopefully going to be very different. I think this is the furthest I've made is the quarterfinals. Come up with some tough guys like Federer, and I played Hewitt in maybe the fourth round, quarterfinals. I don't know. Play some tough players, and expect to play a very tough player tomorrow as well in either Mathieu or Nadal.
It's not easy to play here. All the top guys are here and everyone is taking it so seriously, but I hope -- there's no reason for me not to do well here.

Q. Obviously the Davis Cup title, big thrill for you. How hungry are you to get that first Masters title?
JAMES BLAKE: That would be a great feeling. Unfortunately, I think three chances I've had in the finals I've come up against Federer when he's playing some pretty good tennis all those times, too. It's been tough. Would I like to get one of those shields, but another thing that I'm striving for, I'm working hard towards getting, but can't hang my head too low if I don't get one.
I'm proud of the way I've competed to get this far and proud of the way I've competed to get to the finals of the other ones that I've been in. Just keep giving myself the best chance, preparing as best I can, and hopefully one day I'll be holding up the trophies.
But if not, I've definitely done my best to prepare for that situation. I'll be ready for it and not surprised if I do get that opportunity.

Q. How confident are you, if it's Rafa? Obviously I don't know how confident you are, but talk about what you need to do to beat Rafa, if it, indeed, is him?
JAMES BLAKE: Last week I think we had a great match. I felt like I was still dictating a little more, which is a good feeling. He plays such good defense he was able to affect me that way.
I didn't maybe move my feet as well. I was looking up at him and letting him affect me. I don't think I did that in years past maybe because I was definitely the underdog and feeling like I could go after my shots and just have nothing to lose.
This time, being 3 and 0 against him, maybe that 1% or 2% difference people are expecting me to beat him maybe changed things a little. I still feel like I can go out there and go after my shots. If I can do that and put it in my control, I feel comfortable.
Hopefully I can do that if I get a chance to play him tomorrow. I know he's not -- he's never making it easy for anyone to beat him on hard, clay, grass, anything. He makes every match a hard fought battle. I'm lacking forward to that again tomorrow, but I don't know.
He's got to play another one today.

Q. Is that one of his main attributes, he just hates to lose more than anyone you've played.
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I mean, I think sometimes a little more credit is given to some of the guys out there that have that attitude because I feel like just about every single person in the top 100 has that. Whether it looks that way or doesn't, whether they hang their head sometimes or whether they don't have the talent of some of the others, everyone out here hates to lose.
I don't know if people can notice it in my emotions or can notice it when I'm out there, because I try to keep things a little closer to my chest and not be as dynamic or vocal out there. But I hate to lose.
Everyone out here, to get to this level, you have to have that competitive spirit, and I know Rafael has it. Obviously he shows it. He wears his heart on his sleeve. You can see it every time, and that's a lot of fun for the fans, it's a lot fun -- you can tell he's having a lot of fun out there.
I don't like sometimes it's discounted in other guys, because it's something that's there. Whether it's Marat Safin cracking racquets, whether Pete Sampras just putting his head down and showing his intensity without being vocal, we all have it. So I think it is great that Rafael has it, but I think just about everyone out here has that attitude.

Q. On the subject of the Olympics and Tibet, a handful of athletes from various places, India, Norway, in various sports have talked about perhaps protesting at the games, wearing ribbons, boycotting opening ceremonies. Is that something you would consider doing?
JAMES BLAKE: I'd kind of leave that to the people that know a lot more about it. I saw today Nancy Pelosi saying she thinks maybe George W. Bush should boycott and not attend the opening ceremonies. She also said that she feels the athletes have worked so hard that they deserve to still be there, and they should not boycott.
Obviously these people are much more up on the issues of Tibet and human rights of China and what they've done and a lot more confidential material that I'm sure I'll have never have access to. I trust those in power to let me know.
I've worked hard. I would love to be there. I'm proud to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team. If they tell me it's the right thing to do to go over there, I'll go over there. If they tell me it's the right thing to do to stay home, then I'll stay home. I would be disappointed, because I want to compete in the Olympics and I want to be there.
But I don't feel like it's my decision to go and say, I know what's best for the entire country of China, I know what's best for the entire Olympic team. I think it should be a joint decision, kind of all-for-one decision, whether every Olympic team boycotts or we all go and we represent our country with pride.

Q. For the individual athletes who do take a position, do you feel that's their rightful place, or is that not the proper forum for that kind of thing?
JAMES BLAKE: It's totally up to them. I'm not going to go out there and say I know more than the people that are dealing with these issues every single day. But if someone else is, that's definitely their right. They've worked hard to make the Olympic team and we've been given all the freesoms to do what we choose. With the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, everything we have, that's why I'm so proud to be an American and proud to be representing the American team, is because we have those freedoms.
If they want to do that, if they feel the need to express themselves that way, then more power to them. I'm proud of them for taking a stance, but it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be the way I do it.

Q. Were you surprised by Andy's decision not to go to the Olympics this year?
JAMES BLAKE: You know, it's such an individual sport that what works for one isn't going to work for others, and everyone prepares differently. Some guys will have a long warmup, some guys are shorter, some guys work out the day of a match, others don't. Everything about our preparation and our sport and how we got here and our emotions is different.
So for me to go out and say one thing it better for someone else that isn't for another is unfair, because I didn't prepare. I haven't prepared my life the same way Andy Roddick has, so I trust his decision as well as anyone to know what's best for him.
In terms of him being a teammate, I'm honored and have had the privilege of being his teammate for so many years now in the Davis Cup team that I couldn't think of a better teammate, or someone I want to call colleague and a teammate more than Andy. So I don't ever question his desire or his commitment to the Davis Cup team or to his country.
So I think it's totally up to him, and he's earned the right to do whatever he wants to do after how hard he's worked for the Davis Cup.

End of FastScripts

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