Yardbarker: James Blake

Blake beats Santoro in Paris Masters opener

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:44:40 -0500

James Blake of the United States beat French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Paris Masters on Sunday. The 36-year-old Santoro, who is playing in his final season on the ATP tour, swapped jerseys with Blake after the match and did a lap of honor to warm applause from the crowd at Bercy indoor arena. Blake broke Santoro's serve twice in each set, and afterward paid tribute to the Frenchman. "He's a great competitor, such a classy guy.

Motivation: James Blake. He keeps, going and going and...watch.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:54:54 -0500

First in a new Tennisidentity.com category MOTIVATION. We all need it on court and some people are truly inspirational. Check out this ATP World Tour Insider video on one of my personal favorites,...

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James Blake and Fila Launch Blake's New Thomas Reynolds Collection for Men.

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:44:52 -0500

Fila and James Blake have launched the Thomas Reynolds Collection, a co-branded collaboration inspired by the ATP World Tour tennis player's life and interests. Blake will publicly debut the fall...

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Won My First Match in Melbourne

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:08:39 -0500

Hey guys, thanks for the tip from one of the comments about using capital letters. I really didn't think it made a difference since I assumed most people could figure out that I just write that way on the computer when I'm writing casually so I can type more quickly. But I guess I'll try to be more formal from now on here on Yardbarker. I won my first match down here in Melbourne against Frank Dancevic. It was a straight set match, but I felt like it was high quality tennis. Especially the third set where Frank had some chances and I had to get out of trouble a few times. Now I play Sebastian De Chaunac of France tonight. He's a player that has a lot of confidence right now and nothing to lose. So it could be dangerous. I will have to play well again. He won 3 matches to qualify here and a five setter in the first round. I remember him from college tennis when he played at Ole Miss. My brother Thomas actually played him while we were both at school there. I think he beat Sebastian so I will have to try to make the Blakes 2-0 against him. I'm still having a great time down here and the atmosphere for my first match was exciting. It was a night match and I've got another night match today. It makes for a day of relaxing before the match and then a great crowd usually at night. So hopefully tonight will be more of the same. Take care guys, and I hope you like the more formal version with correct capitalization and punctuation.

Australian Open and my own Fila line

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:08:19 -0500

hey guys. i'm in melbourne getting ready for the australian open. it's always an exciting time preparing for the first grand slam of the year. we get a chance to see what everyone has been doing during the offseason. sometimes it's obvious to see who's really put in the hours on the practice court and who is still working there way into the year. there's also a chance to see what has been new with everyone. for me, there is one big thing that is new. i've switched my clothing and shoes. i entered into an agreement with fila. they gave me a very exciting opportunity to create my own line that will begin in a limited edition at the u.s. open this year. until then, i will be wearing the fila line and i'm proud of the tradition fila has in tennis and athletics in general. the brand has a history in the game with the likes of bjorn borg. i hope this relationship is mutually beneficial and i think both sides have a lot of reason for excitement at the beginning of this journey. and of course i'd like to start it with a great result here in melbourne. my training so far has been good. yesterday was the first day here that was really hot, so it's good preparation to get out there and work hard in those conditions to be ready for the way it could be during the next two weeks. i'll try to write again during the tournament.

getty images

Trip to Australia

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:09:58 -0500

hey everyone. i'm in perth, australia right now, but heading to melbourne soon. i had a good week in perth at the hopman cup. i got three very tough matches in against dominik hrbaty, nicolas kiefer, and lleyton hewitt. i won the last two, but lost 7-6 in the third to hrbaty. but it was great preparation for the australian open. so now i'm heading to melbourne to have a week of training to be totally ready for the first grand slam of the year. most years i play sydney the week before the australian open, but this year i wanted to change things up and prepare as perfectly as possible to try to have a long run there. i'm looking forward to a good week. i might even be there early enough to sneak in a round of golf. i've heard the course near the crown hotel in melbourne is beautiful and that can relax me. the crown in melbourne is one of the best places for me all year. and for this trip my mom and brother will be there as well. it's always nice to have family around when you are halfway across the globe. australia is definitely a fun place to visit, so they love being down here. it's just a long flight, but worth it very quickly upon arrival. it's time for me to catch up on some sleep now. talk to you guys soon from melbourne.

It's been a while

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:09:34 -0500

hey guys, i know it's been a while since i've written a post. sorry about that. but the year has ended and now i'm trying to enjoy the off season. i had a great experience over in asia for a week doing two exhibitions with some legends of the game. i played with roger federer in macau and kuala lumpur. we also played doubles with bjorn borg and john mcenroe. it was an honor for me to be included in this group of players and part of a show that entertained so many people in areas that don't often see that level of tennis. the excitement of the fans was palpable. and the experiences of hanging out with those guys and talking tennis, as well as many non tennis topics was invaluable.

since that time i've been home and had a wonderful thanksgiving in connecticut with my family and friends. watching football all day and eating as much as possible is always a great day to me. and after that, it was back to work on the courts down at saddlebrook in tampa. my coach has been down here with me in my one real opportunity to work on things in my game without being concerned with an upcoming tournament. so we have been enthusiastically working on my game. and since the weather is nice down here we were able to get out on the golf course a few times too. that is a perfect way for me to relax in the offseason as well.

next up i'm looking forward to christmas back in connecticut and i'm hoping for a white christmas since i have a tough time getting into the christmas spirit when i'm outside in t-shirts and shorts. i start the year at an exhibition in abu dhabi. this is my first trip over to the united arab emirates. i'm looking forward to being there as i've heard it's an amazing place. the exhibition will be over new year's and will include federer, nadal, murray, roddick and davydenko. the beginning of a new year is always exciting and filled with anticipation. hopefully i will have some good news to start the year soon. happy holidays to everyone.

JB

World's Hottest Athlete Elite 8 Matchup - Heather Mitts vs. Anna Kournikova

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:34:30 -0500

It just isn't fair that one of these gorgeous women won't advance to the Final Four of the World's Hottest Athlete Contest, but that's just the way it has to be. Anna needs no introduction. When it comes to the World's Hottest Athlete, she has been front and center of this debate for over a decade. Bursting onto the scene at the very illegal age of 15, Anna quickly became known worldwide. She had a pretty good tennis career, but clearly she is so much better simply at l...

Back in the States after my Olympic experience

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:54:41 -0500

I'm back in the United States now. After representing this country, I'm happy to be back here in my own bed. I had a very memorable Olympic experience, as I'm guessing most first time Olympians do. I had one of, if not the, biggest win of my career against a player who I believe will go down as the greatest of all time. I had such a high and then lost in the semifinals in a close 3 set match. It was a tough way to go out after feeling like I really had a chance to bring home the gold. But i didn't let that deter me from enjoying the whole experience thoroughly. I met some other great Olympians and learned that way more of them than I would have expected eat McDonald's. Now I will just try to figure out how to get some sleep at home at normal hours. I think the 12 hour time difference is just about the toughest adjustment to make. I'm sitting here writing this very early in the morning because I've been awake since 4 a.m. trying to get back to sleep. It's a lost cause now. But i got caught up on a lot of emails, so at least I was productive. i didn't respond to every single piece of email I got on my site, but I tried to get to quite a few. So i will just say thank you to everyone who watched me at the Olympics, supported me, and sent congratulatory emails to my website. All of them were read and all appreciated. Now today I will try to get organized back at home like I always do on my first day back. And then it will be back to training soon so I can be ready for the U.S. Open. although I lost in the semifinals of the Olympics I feel like I am playing very well and with my hometown crowd at the Open, I feel like I have a chance of a lot of success there. I don't want to jinx it, but I have a good feeling about the tournament. I hope everyone enjoys watching the rest of the Olympics and is as proud as I am of my fellow competitors for the sacrifices they have made to be there competing for their respective countries. JB

I Won My First Olympic Match

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:32:50 -0500

hey guys, i won my first Olympic match. the feeling so far over here is indescribable. i've had so much fun staying in the village. i'm sharing a room with sam querrey. i'm not really sure the last time i shared a room at a tournament, but needless to say, it's been a while. and eating at the dining hall with all the other athletes has been a thrill. although i am kind of shocked at how many world class athletes eat consistently at mcdonald's. that dining hall is one of the best places in the world to people watch in think. from the dream team coming through, to rafa nadal, to michael phelps, amanda beard and the countless other athletes all lining up to eat, it's a fun experience. and just seeing the contrast in sizes from the women's gymnasts, to the men's weightlifters and wrestlers. i've met some other american athletes and the pride i have in all of them keeps growing. i played chris guccione from australia today and the humidity was as bad as i've ever played in i think. we were both drenched by about 15 minutes into the match. luckily it only took about 80 minutes, but it was a grueling 80 minutes in these conditions. the emotions of getting through it were similar to my first ever davis cup win. finishing off the last point was a relief. i should be playing doubles tomorrow, and then singles again on tuesday. i'll try to keep giving updates, but i've been staying pretty busy and trying to soak up the atmosphere here. USA USA USA JB

Hollywood

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:21:07 -0500

I love Sports. Played sports all my life and still do. Ive been into the tennis scene for a few years now. Ive been a James Blake fan since 2004 when i heard about his Zoster contraction. Ive suffered the same thing when I was about to Play college basketball in 1998. Then I had to fight cancer in my back. I won. But I never had anyone in my corner to know what I was going through. I lost my mother afew years ago and she was my best friend and she was always there for me. Now I cant believe that all ive been through I can run again and play sports like ive never been able to. I look a good 20 something but Im 38 this year and proud of it. James book was the best ive read and has helped through the tough times. My doctors cant believe it, I have longevity in my family, so that plays abig part in it. I follow the us open every year and love the SAP open when i can get some vacation time away from NY. My tennis is coming along and who knows what can happen, but I can say im a tennis junkie. Ive met williams family (my last name is williams so that was an advanyage when i met their father) they are great and im going to teach tennis in my neighborhood next summer and my son at 6 yrs. old has raw talent with tennis but he just want to be a fireman more than anything, but hes a great partner since i dont have one. everyday i practice down the block on 10 beautiful courts just being the only one not of russian decent along with my son after work. Well thanks for the opportunity to write this, Ive never done this just took the opportunity on this site. thanks hollywood

A frustrating loss at Wimbledon

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:25:43 -0500

Well guys, it wasn't the best week to report on from Wimbledon. I lost in five sets to Rainer Schuettler. I really didn't feel like I played my best and that always frustrates me. I had a little trouble with the footing on the grass and it didn't let me go after my shots and be as aggressive as I usually like to be. The only thing I can do now is hope that coming into my favorite time of the year will yield some better results. I will be happy to be back on the hard courts where I grew up and feel most comfortable. so that gave me some free time over in london that i hadn't planned on. my childhood friend john mayer actually came to watch that match. that's a great feeling for me because we both had dreams as kids together. they were in such different fields, but we both worked harder than anyone in those areas to get where we have gotten. my brother, mom, and a few of my friends went to watch his concert in london the next night. it is such a thrill to see him perform and even though i've seen him perform quite a few times, every time hearing his guitar play is just amazing. and then we got a chance to catch up a little bit afterwards. of course my mom asking him if it has to be so loud backstage was a little embarrassing, but luckily he has known her since he was 10 years old, so he knew to expect that from her and just laughed it off. now i'm back home and my buddies had a barbecue going at my house when i got here. i have the best friends in the world. they were all here to help me take my mind off of one loss. JB

Checking into the Yard from Wimbledon

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:04:25 -0500

Hey everybody, glad to write my first blog here on yardbarker.com. I have been following some of the blogs on this site for awhile - yes, even the ones that talk about American tennis. rkulkarni34, thanks for the Davis Cup love. I also see that Rajon Rondo is on here blogging and as a converted Celtics fan, that was good news. I'm glad to now have a chance join your community and weigh-in. i'm in london and excited to be getting ready to play my first round at Wimbledon tomorrow. but first I want to talk about a few other events in the sports world recently. I was at game 1 of the Celtics/Lakers series in Boston and the atmosphere in there was electric. I have been to a few Celtics games throughout the year and they were the most exciting team to watch all year (and that's coming from a long time bulls fan). they proved to be the most exciting and the best this past week and I wanted to congratulate them and especially the big 3 for getting that ring that they definitely deserve. i'm also a Mets fan, and was sorry to see Willie Randolph lose his job this week. I thought very highly of Willie when he started with the Mets, but I think his days were numbered since last year's collapse. and to start off this year with the addition of one of the best pitchers in baseball and not be over .500 was the last straw I guess. I wish him the best in the future, but hope a change can spur the Mets on to win the division. and now onto my preparations. over here in Wimbledon it's different from most tournaments because I rent a house for me and the people traveling with me. my brother and my trainer mark merklein are here with me in the house. three guys sharing a house for two weeks is not the easiest assignment for our housekeeper but we try to help out. my mom arrived today and we had to tighten things up before she arrived. she's English, so she always comes over for this tournament and loves being here. I've had a good week of practice on the grass at Wimbledon and the weather has been shockingly good. i'm sure once the tournament gets into full gear that will change though. it always does, so I'll probably be playing plenty of cards and reading my book when the rain comes. there will be more to report soon.

Who is the Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports?

Wed, 16 May 2007 23:30:37 -0500

James Blake's honey, Jennifer Scholle, served a smokin' ace on Dan Dickau's wifey Heather to move on to the second round in our tournament, scoring a definitive 62% to 38% victory. In our next battle we see the wife of Major League pitcher Brett Tomko, Julia, taking on beach volleyball legend and wife of ubersurfer Laird Hamilton, Gabrielle Reece. Who moves on to the second round? That, my friend, is up to you!

Who is the Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports?

Tue, 15 May 2007 17:40:46 -0500

Well that was quick. Should we call it a first round TKO? Tony Romo's American Idol wasted no time in knocking out Oscar De La Hoya's wife, Millie in round one with a 2-to-1 margin of victory. Next up in the squared circle is our #11 seed Jennifer Scholle, sweetheart of tennis player James Blake, going up against former Blazers cheerleader and wife of ex-NBA-er Dan Dickau, Heather. Who moves on to the second round? That, my friend, is up to you!