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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 12, 2010

James Blake

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

J. BLAKE/D. Gimeno-Traver
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Good way to start? Where are you sort of, James, just in terms of what your goals are and what you want to get out of the season at this point?
JAMES BLAKE: Goals are just to keep coming back. Pretty boring. It's the answer I give every time, but I just feel like I get better. It's a matter of staying healthy.
I had a few close matches that obviously could have gone either way in Australia, could have gone either way in Memphis. Roddick, two top-10 guys, definitely had chances to win those matches and lost to Karlovic, which is a large part not even tennis.
So those are matches that are tough to gauge how well you're playing. Otherwise, I feel like I've been playing pretty well. I felt comfortable out there today. I felt pretty comfortable against a guy that definitely prefers clay, I think.
So for me to take time away from him like I do when I'm playing well, it was a good sign. But those are always -- you keep getting better. I know my ranking's dropped, but I'm not that worried about it.
I know on any given day and in any tournament if I'm not seeded and if I'm ranked real low, I'm assuming a lot of the higher seeds aren't really thrilled to be playing me early on in a tournament because I feel like I do still have the ability to compete with the top guys.

Q. Does that make you edgier when you see the draw?
JAMES BLAKE: Definitely leaves a little more up to chance, but I've been there before. When I was young and coming up I had to go through it. You have to beat some of the top guys to start gaining that respect when you're young.
Now I've got to do it again to show that I hopefully still belong up there. To prove I belong in the talks for winning titles and for being seeded and all that kind of stuff, I have to improve myself because there's no one else to blame.
I can't complain about bad draws all year. Eventually I have to beat some of those guys. It's still up to me to do that.

Q. How did you feel watching Davis Cup, or did you?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I watched. You know, I'm happy for those guys to go over there and feel the camaraderie, to have the team spirit. Sam and John are best buddies. They're so enthusiastic, and really two of the nicest guys you could imagine.
I wish the team was larger and we could all go and travel and hang out together, but they deserve it. You know, they're going to bring home a title I think one of these years. Obviously not this year, but that's a tough draw, tough debut for John, and he competed as hard as anyone could, you know, all three days.
He played great, I thought, against Novak, and Novak just showed why he's one of the best players in the world. And playing at home, that's about as tough a matchup as they go, in Serbia, slow clay, for a guy like Isner. But he competed real hard.
I'm proud of those guys, and I think that experience will help them and take them far in the future. It's tough watching because you want to be there, but it's fun because you really like the guys. It would be a lot different if I felt like there were some guys that I really wanted to beat every day and I was going out there and competing with them.
But those guys are such good guys. I want the best for them. I want the best for the team. I want the States to have another title. Without me, with me, whatever, I want them to win.

Q. Kind of a tough situation if I have it right with your racquets. What's up? What's happening?
JAMES BLAKE: Oh, man. I don't know. I don't even -- it would be too long of a story to get into. My racquets feel great right now. I don't have that many of them left, so I'm hoping that I can find a way to get more of them and find someone that can make a racquet exactly the way I like it.
It seems like -- I think it's just the modernization of the game that the racquets that are being made now don't feel the same as the ones when I started on tour. When I started, I think it was different materials. Using different materials, to me, feels a little more hollow, tinny. I guess the materials that are used are lighter and more powerful. For me it just doesn't -- it doesn't have the same feel. I never thought I was picky about racquets until I went through this situation where I'm trying to find one that's just like mine, and no one has been able to do it.
I'm really looking forward to putting this behind me and hopefully someone being able to make a racquet that I can use. We'll see if that happens soon.

Q. Do you treat your racquets sort of like a Stradivarius?
JAMES BLAKE: Yes, I do. They get treated very well nowadays. I don't want any of them breaking. You won't see me throwing racquets. I might hit a ball, I might yell and scream, but I'm not going to be throwing racquets. It will be a weird feeling, because I haven't done that for a long time, to be able to have a bad practice and actually smash a racquet, because I haven't done that in years.

Q. They just can't find the right materials?
JAMES BLAKE: Um, yeah, I think that's what it is. You know, I'm -- I just go by what it feels like, and, you know, all the racquet technicians and the people at Dunlop and any other companies, they tell me what their opinions are and everything. They've got this material in it and this stiffness and this swing weight and this and that, and, you know, all I go by is what it feels like.
I put in it in my hand, and if it doesn't feel good and I don't feel like I can compete with it, then that's all I go by. In my gut it feels like it's the material. They can make it the same weight, same balance, the same mold, the same everything. But if it doesn't feel the same, I only -- my only possibility in my head is that it's the material.

Q. How many do you have? How many racquets do you have left?
JAMES BLAKE: Not enough. I got three.

Q. Really?
JAMES BLAKE: Yep.

Q. You need to take a different racquet on the side, so if you want to smash it you can walk over...
JAMES BLAKE: I'd feel a little silly to do that. I'll leave that to the juniors. I used to do that when I was about 14, 15 years old.

Q. When you say it doesn't feel right, what is it that doesn't feel right?
JAMES BLAKE: I think the new material feels hollow, like tinny, and so it doesn't -- it's hard to describe. That's another problem is because I have a tough time articulating exactly what it is.
But the ball, it feels like it jumps off, and then it still -- it still doesn't fly out. Like some of the ones that have a lot of power, when I hit it solid, with my racquet I feel like I hit it solid and it's going to drop down in the court, with the new material I feel like it goes a little further out and goes flying out.
It's a material that to me it feels like it still jumps off. I don't have to create all my own pace, but it still dips down and has that spin that adds to it. I'm sure it's a tough combination for a company to make, and I'm finding that it's really, really tough for them to make.

Q. Where does the string fit into this?
JAMES BLAKE: The string, I've been using Luxilon since 2002 probably, and that's -- to me, it doesn't get any better than that.
Until someone puts a string in my hand that convinces me hands down it's better... Because I still remember the first day I used Luxilon. I put it on my racquet and I said, I'm switching. There was no doubt about it. It's so much better, and it feels -- it just feels so good.
Because you can swing hard and it -- and the ball, just it grabs. The string grabs it. And I've said it before. I think that's been the biggest change in the game in the last 15, 20 years. The reason for sort of the death of the serve and volleyers is you're absolutely able to rip those returns with this string and you're able to put it down at people's feet so much easier. You're able to control the ball with power better than you can with, in my opinion, any other string.
So until someone can show me something that feels better than that, I don't see myself changing string.

Q. So obviously this is a tennis tournament, but a little more than a year ago you came out more articulate earlier than just about anyone in support of the president. Now it kind of feels like it's the middle of the fourth set at Roland Garros or something. Could you give us a little thought about your thoughts about his situation?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I think he's in a tough situation. I feel like he gets criticized no matter what he does, but I think you know that going in when you sign up for that job. It's about as tough as it gets. I think the healthcare bill is what he's really trying to push, and without me speaking ignorantly about a bill that's 2700 pages long that I have never read all of and never claimed to know a lot of the details, I feel like the intelligent people he surrounds himself with and with his intelligence and his goals, I think I'm willing to throw my support behind that.
But, you know, like I've heard so many athletes and entertainers make statements that I'm sure are very uneducated, and I wouldn't want to do that. I wouldn't want to go out there and start spouting my opinions and expect people to listen to me over someone that's in the know, someone that's on Capitol Hill, someone making real decisions.
So I wouldn't want to influence anyone based on my opinions. You know, my opinion is to support the president. I voted for him. I'm happy he's our leader. You know, I trust what he's going to do.

Q. Back to the racquet for one second. Barring a fit of destructive anger, do they have a life? I mean, do you find after a certain period of time they get a little dead or...
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, well, they do start deadening, which is another issue, because I've been playing with these for so long that they've changed from when I first used them. So that's another issue where they have to try to make them as if they've been broken in, and so that's tough.
But they eventually -- their life span probably isn't that much longer, because more than just deadening, they actually break without me doing anything outside of normal play.

Q. They crack?
JAMES BLAKE: The last one that I had that broke was last year in Paris, and that was a bad day. I was just warming up and hitting returns, and I took a swing at a forehand and it hit the top of the frame and the throat just cracked. I wasn't too happy about that. It was a bad day.

Q. You travel around the circuit with three racquets?
JAMES BLAKE: Yep.

Q. Did you play Memphis with them or a different frame?
JAMES BLAKE: I played Memphis. That was the first tournament this year I played with them.

Q. You played Australia with a different frame?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah.

Q. Was the brand W?
JAMES BLAKE: Ah, it was a different racquet.

Q. You're carrying more racquets than the three, right? You're carrying something you don't care for?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I'm carrying some backups just in case. But, you know, I plan on using those three.

Q. Let me ask a different question. You mentioned books and so forth, and Andre's book, he does talk about the match at the US Open. He praises you and says it's great to be a part of one of the greatest night matches in tennis history. But he said at one point he did look in your eyes and he sensed that you weren't going for it. What were your thoughts about his passage? His take on that?
JAMES BLAKE: You know, he's one of the greats of all time, so, you know, he's gotta feel on that side of the court that he's going to win, and that's -- I think that's every great champion's take on a match, is they can find something in the other person that they feel like they can win, that they think they can prey on.
Whether it's something as simple as preying on a weak backhand, a weak forehand, a weak serve or preying on them mentally because they feel like they're stronger mentally. He felt like that that day, and he took advantage.
But, I mean, at 6-All in the breaker, I'll still remember that point forever. He had a dropshot and I had my chance and I picked the wrong side. I guessed wrong. I went to his backhand and he was sitting on it. If I go across there to the forehand, I'm up 7-6 serving in the tiebreaker and I have a better chance to win that at that point.
So I mean, I did my best. There's no doubt about that. I did everything I could the right way. I was up two sets to love, but he played unbelievable tennis to get back into it. I was serving for the match, and I've gone over that game before in my head, and outside of missing a couple of first serves. But, you know, my first serve percentage isn't always the highest. I missed a couple there. He took advantage and did everything he could to break, and he got back into the match like a champion does. If he wants to put that on my mental state or me not going for it, I'll also still remember the first match point he had when I took a forehand from just about the alley inside in for a winner, and some of my friends still joke that that's their favorite shot I've ever hit in their lives and in my life.
Because, you know, down, with your back to the wall to go for maybe a slightly lower percentage shot and go for it and make it, that was something I was happy to do.
That's the way my game is set up. I'm going to take some chances and I'm going to use my forehand, and when I get it I'm going to go after it.
I did that; didn't work out. He played too good. But, you know, his assessment is -- you know, if you look at a match through my eyes and through his eyes or any two players' eyes, they're going to see different things.
If he saw me not going for it, he might be the first person in the world to say I don't go for my shots. But, you know, he's a tremendous source of information and a tremendous student of the game, so if he felt like I did let my foot off the accelerator, maybe I did.
I haven't watched that whole match, you know. When I retire I'm sure I will. I'll look back on it, and maybe I'll say I let off a little bit. But I remember that match in my head and I feel like I was going for it. I wanted to win that so badly. I wanted to be in the semis, I wanted to be playing Robby out there, and I was looking forward to it.
I still went for my shots. I just didn't connect it at the right times.

Q. Sometimes your forehand just, like you hit one in Memphis that was just out of this world. What is that feeling when you just crunch that forehand for an outright winner a billion miles an hour?
JAMES BLAKE: A really good feeling. Andy, we practiced a little in LA last week. One of the first things he said to me was, Can we just talk about that forehand you hit at break point in Memphis? I just kind of laugh.
You know, we've played each other so many times. I knew I had to guess. Breakpoint he's going to go for a big first serve. We've joked a couple times. He's like, Well, I was thinking that you know I want to go backhand but you're going to go back to the forehand.
But, you've seen me do this before so you're thinking this and I'm going to get you. Honestly, that was what was going through my head. Like, all right, I know he wants to go backhand, but then he went forehand earlier and he thinks I'm going to be looking backhand so I'm going to guess forehand.
I mean it's still just 50/50. But we were just guessing. We were thinking about everything we've gone through and all the matches we've played and what we're going to be thinking, and I just happened to guess right.
You know, when I guess right, if it's right there and I happen to guess right it's just so exciting to me. I see it right where I want it to be and expected it to be, and I don't have a whole lot of time. So I just take my cut, and it felt that good that time.
Again, I wish I could have come through in that match. Maybe that's one, if Andre saw, he would have thought I went for too much, because in the breaker I made a couple mistakes. I went for some shots that I like to think I'm going to make and I missed, and Andy took advantage and capitalized and served well enough to get him over the finish line there.
But that's the way I play, and those forehands are a lot of fun. I hope I got plenty more left in me.

Q. You've had the top few players on the council for the first time ever and coming up in a couple years now. Do you have any sense of like what their agenda is or, you know, what their top priorities are and also if they've had any effect on where the tour is headed?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, I think the schedule, when I left the council, one of the biggest things on the table was the schedule, finding a way to make it better for players in terms of their health, keeping guys healthy, keeping their careers going longer.
Then the other big one is finances, which it's great we've got a new title sponsor with Corona. So I think they did their job with the board, with the executives in finding a sponsor. So hopefully our pension can be funded, we can get the bonus pool back maybe.
So some things like that that are going to help the game. And also in terms of publicity, maybe that's going to add to our advertising budget, get it more popular around the world. I think it's pretty darn popular in Europe and Australia, and maybe just needs to be increased the profile here in the States.
Of course, if myself or Andy or the Isners or the Querreys start winning Grand Slams, that's going to help as well.

Q. Do you have a clear sense of what it is they wanted to accomplish? You mentioned schedule. Based on what the players have been saying the last few months doesn't sound like much progress.
JAMES BLAKE: There probably hasn't been a ton of progress, but they're doing what they can. I mean, I think you're dealing with a situation. If we're going to talk about politics, there's plenty of politics involved in the tennis. It's tough sometimes to get things done. There are people who are stopping it.
If you want to cut the schedule down, those people that are gonna get cut are gonna fight it pretty hard. You can't just take tournaments away from a city or a tournament that has every right to that that week. They've paid their dues, they've maybe waited and then they paid, and they're making a financial commitment. You can't just say, Well, the players want to take some time off so we're cutting you.
So that's tough. It makes it -- it makes it so their hands are kind of tied. We want certain things, but then the tournaments want other things. We have to find a balance and a compromise.
That was a bit of a frustration when I was on the council. You are a player, you want what's best for the players, but the tournaments are also trying to make a profit. They're trying to find a way to be -- to do what's best for the tournaments.
In their opinion, what's best for the tournaments is best for the tour. In the players' opinion, what's best for the players is best for the tour. Makes it tough. You have to find those compromises.
We'll see if they get more accomplished in terms of schedule. But like I said, it's really tough, and it's something that hopefully one day we'll get solved. But for right now, we have to do the best with what we've got.
They've cut down. They've made a few changes in the rules, and the mandatory tournaments which is good, because I get an exception because I've played so many matches. Next year just for being old I'll get another exception. (laughter.)
You know, there's a few of those built in there, so you don't -- you don't have to play eight out of eight plus the four Grand Slams and plus the 500s. It makes it so it's a pretty full schedule.

Q. At a certain age?
JAMES BLAKE: At a certain.

Q. That's come in since they've been on the council?
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, I think if you start the year at 31. Do you know if that's right? I think if you start the year -- once the year starts and you're 31 years old, you get to take one of the Masters Series off.

Q. You spoke about forehands. I want to segue to foursomes. I think you played some golf maybe over the weekend.
JAMES BLAKE: I did.

Q. Was it Pete, you, Andy, and Mardy?
JAMES BLAKE: No, no. You got scouts everywhere? I was on the golf course with Mardy, Pete, and one of Pete's friends.

Q. So of the three tennis players, how did we do? What's the leaderboard?
JAMES BLAKE: Well, I'm the worst out of those three by far. But Mardy, Mardy's the best; Pete's couple strokes behind him. Pete had a little bit of an off day that day, though.
So it was me and Mardy against Pete and his buddy. Me and his buddy were about pretty even. Mardy's probably a couple strokes better than Pete. But it's Pete's home course. Me and Mardy got 'em. I'm sure the next question is who won.

Q. No. The next question is: Pete's style is a big serve, big forehand, athleticism, comes to the net. Does that translate to golf at all?
JAMES BLAKE: It translates on his drive. He can bomb that thing. I think he got the loose, you know, loose upper body and flexibility. It's a big drive.
And then the athleticism, yeah, he's pretty talented with his hands around the green. It's definitely -- he's got a lot of talent. I mean, it's not a shocker.
Mardy the same. Mardy has tons of talent. Hits the ball long, good hands, good feel, and then I just hack it around and have some fun.
So it's a good time. We had a great time, and I appreciate it for Pete taking us out there when we were out in LA.

End of FastScripts

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