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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (MEN)

May 7, 2008

James Blake

ROME, ITALY

J. BLAKE/A. Seppi
7-6, 3-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pleased with that?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, very please. Started out pretty scratchy. Not -- probably not either of our best tennis at the beginning. Got through that first set and pulled out of that, and then he stepped it up a little.
I still couldn't quite find my range in the second, and then played as well as I did in the third and really to take advantage of my chances was -- is really good feeling.
Obviously this generally isn't the best surface for Americans, but to come here and get a win against an Italian guy when they generally tend to play very well here at home, I'm very proud of it.

Q. Novak talked about the speed of courts here. Is it considerably quicker than in Barcelona last week?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I would think so. I only had about an how are on the court at Barcelona, but it definitely seemed a lot quick ear here. I feel like that's been the history here in Rome, it's one of the quicker clay court tournaments. Maybe that's why Andy has had some success here. I've had a little bit of success.
I think it's good it change it a little. We all know we're going to Hamburg next week where it's about as slow as it can possibly be, and just to get the variety is good.

Q. You say that over the years you've learned to develop your game on clay courts. Anything specific?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, yeah, there's been a lot of things. I think the defense, learning how to play defense and sliding into balls instead of kind of the typical American: you hit and then slide. I'm trying to get better at those kind of things.
Maybe using the dropshot once in a while and defending against the dropshot a little better and trying to find a way -- it wasn't as effective, but trying to find a way to make more first serves and just get the advantage.
Maybe not going for as much in terms of going for aces, but going for a higher percentage. Didn't work too well today, but trying those kind of things and still being able to push forward. Not trying to change my game too much. Not necessarily stepping back and playing like a David Ferrer or anyone that moves far back. Just still playing my game on clay.

Q. After everything that happened to you here, what are your emotions when you walk through the gates? What are your thoughts?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, for one, I hope I stay here at main site and don't have to go to the practice site where I did actually break my neck. That's the first goal. Also, I was hitting with Roger the other day and it was rainy and it was wet. I just said, You know what, Rog, I'm not moving at all. I'm not going anywhere, because this is the same situation. I'm just going to stay in one spot and the not move.
It's definitely made me a little more cautious in practices. There are times where a dropshot goes down and when I was 20, 21 years old, I never would have thought about stopping. These days I'll pull up in practice and just say, Good shot, and be able to be healthy for my match the next day.
It makes me think a little bit about it, but it also -- you know, seeing the same doctor that was there a few years ago and just thinking about that time and how much has happened since then and how far I've come and what life was like back then, it does make you think a lot of times.
It's a great reminder. I think it's tough to think about bad times, but it's a great reminder how lucky you are. If I had come off and lost this match today a lot people would have figured I'd be so down in the dumps and upset, but it's a lot better than the situation could be. You try to take the positive and learn to -- I'm still a competitor so I still want to win every match, but you also take from those times that there's more to life than tennis.

Q. You have time to sightsee in Rome?
JAMES BLAKE: I haven't had as much time this year, which is a good thing. Usually if you do it means you're not doing well in the tournament. I've been in the practice court and the doubles and singles courts, and getting wins in both. I've had time to eat plenty of good food, but not a lot of time to sightsee.
I love Rome and the sightseeing, and I have done it a couple times before. If I don't get a chance to do it this year that's probably a good thing.

Q. You're staying in Europe all the way through, because you've got Hamburg and then the French Open?
JAMES BLAKE: Yes, I'll be here through the French Open, and we'll see how it goes there depending on if I'll stay or go home throughout the whole grass court season.
But I'll miss Sports Center a lot, and I'm the NBA playoffs. But they'll be there many years to come, and when I retire I'll get to watch the playoffs in their entirety.
Hopefully I'm enjoying plenty of different cultures over here in Europe.

Q. I know that Davis Cup is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but the Spanish camp is all of a sudden interested about where they're going to play. They signed some petition against the captain. Do you have a preference?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, hard courts. That's our preference. I'm really not thinking that far in advance. I know they're going to put it on slow clay court, I'm sure.
I was just talking to one of the guys, and he just said the crowd is going to be very excited, as they should be in the semifinals with their team, how exceptional they are.
So I'm just -- you know, I'll look forward to that as it gets closer, but right now I'm just worried about improving my clay court game. If that benefits us in September, great. Right now I'm focused on this tournament, Hamburg and Team Cup, and the French Open.
I'm not that worried about it. It's still going to be in Spain and home court advantage for them, so I'm not that worried about it. I don't think anyone's going to force them to put it on hard or grass. It'll be fine.

Q. What's your main goal for this season? Are you ready to win a Slam?
JAMES BLAKE: I hope so, but I never judge success or failure by strictly results. I judge it by how prepared I am and how well I feel like I've done in practice and how much better I've gotten.
I try to improve every year and try to improve every day at practice. If I'm doing that and doing the best I can, I can't always control the results. I can come up against a guy that's playing the best day of his life, and maybe there's nothing I can do.
I can do my best every time and be in it mentally and be physically ready for every match. As long as I do that, at the end of every year it's a success.
I hope my talent takes me to a Slam title, but I can't guarantee it, and I won't see it as a failure if I won't do that as long as I've prepared as well as I can for each match.

End of FastScripts

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