Yardbarker: jamesblake

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

Back home from the U.S. Open

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:33:32 -0500

Hey guys. I'm back at home in Connecticut now. The U.S. Open is always a little hectic and this year proved no different. It wasn't exactly the final result i was looking for. I won a five setter in the first match against an American player Donald Young. He played well, but it was a good feeling to win a five setter when it was 4-4 in the fifth I played a good game and closed it out. That's a good feeling and physically I felt strong. Unfortunately in the third round I came up against my best friend on tour, Mardy Fish. He played an excellent match and beat me in straight sets. He served and returned really well. I felt a little flat out there, but he had a lot to do with that because of the way he played. If there's anyone I want to see do well this year, it's Mardy and Andy. They are still alive in the tournament and they are both playing great tennis. But as for me, I'm back home and need to put the racquets down for a few days. Sometimes that's tough for me, but it seems like all the tennis I've played over the last few years seems to be catching up to me. For me, that kind of time off means hitting the golf course up here in Connecticut with my friends and brother. I'm not a very good golfer, but I love being competitive at something that we can all enjoy. And with the handicaps it makes it fun to still play with all my friends that are much better golfers than me. So now I'll play some more golf and the next time I have to travel is for my charity event in Richmond, Virginia on the 12th of September. That is always fun, and this year it will be with and Roddick and the Bryan twins. It's always a good time with them. I hope we can put on a good show for the fans down there. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the Open and I'll get back with you guys again soon. Now it's time for your chance to win a copy of 2K Top Spin 3. Best three answers win. What is your favorite upset moment of the U.S. Open? JB

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

Checking in from Beijing Olympics

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:46:08 -0500

Well guys, I'm in Beijing. It was a long flight, but I'm so excited to be here. This is just about as excited as I have been in my career to start a tournament. And it has really helped having fun people on the team with me. The team for the men is Sam Querrey, Robby Ginepri, and the Bryan twins. On the women's side, it's Serena, Venus, Lindsay Davenport and Liezel Huber. They are all fun to be around and we've had a good time with the trip. Travel for a tennis player can be one of the toughest parts of our job. But traveling with a group like this makes it so much easier and more fun. Arriving was a little bit hectic with the attention the Williams sisters attract. The media at the airport was pretty aggressive, but we had a great team of security that got us out of there quickly and efficiently. And then it was off to the hotel. We made it quickly thanks to the specific Olympic lanes on the highway. I think our trip would have taken about 2 hours if we didn't have that lane and were sitting in traffic. But instead we were in our rooms in about 20 minutes. Now I'm just anxious to practice and even more anxious to play in my first Olympics. The opening ceremonies are on Friday and I believe that will be an experience that I'll never forget. What is your favorite American Olympic moment that you'll never forget? As always, the best three answers win Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports.

Still in Toronto.....

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:29:13 -0500

Well, I'm still up here in Toronto. I was almost on my way to Cincinnati, but managed to pull off a win today against Dmitry Tursunov. I lost to him last week in the semis of Indianapolis, so it was nice to get some revenge. He had chances to break me at 4-4 in the third set, but i fought them off and won the match 6-4 in the third set. So tomorrow is the quarterfinals against Nicolas Kiefer. Hopefully I can keep finding ways to win these matches as I work towards the Olympics and U.S. Open. There's been a lot of rain here, so the matches are packed into just a few days. I'm happy I've done so much training to make sure my legs are ready for a long summer on the hard courts of match after match. In the rain delays I've managed to win a few hearts games. That's my favorite pastime when we are stuck at the courts. Hopefully I won't need to play cards anymore this week as the weather is supposed to be good.

What's up to the Yard? Enter my contest and win the new Top Spin 3 video game

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:47:53 -0500

Hey guys, I just got into Toronto for a tournament here this week. Now the hard court season is under way. Last week, I played in Indianapolis in the first tournament in the US summer circuit. The circuit is called the Olympus US Open Series and there are tournaments pretty much every week in the United States leading up to the US Open. The Olympics is in the middle of series this summer which changes the schedule somewhat for this year only. In the first US Open Series tournament in Indianapolis last week, I made the semis and lost to Dmitry Tursunov. He played well, but I really felt like I could have served better. Luckily, in tennis, there is always a tournament the next week to improve your play and results. For me, the only exception to this rule will be the Olympics since that's only once every 4 years and there are very few other opportunities to play in the Olympics during most tennis players careers. For me, it may be a once in a lifetime experience and I'm thrilled that i will be a part of that event. Last week was an encouraging start to the hard court season and now i'm looking forward to 2 consecutive major events (aka Masters Series level events) in Toronto and then Cincinnati....and then it's the Olympics in Beijing . indianapolis was nice, and i had a chance to catch up with some friends that i only get to see once a year. I will be playing singles and doubles at the Olympics and the men's team will be myself Bob and Mike Bryan, Robbie Ginepri and Sam Querry. I'm playing doubles with Ginepri. Venus and Serena along with Lindsay Davenport will be on the women's team which should make for a good group. Now it's time to have a little fun. Not sure if many of you know, but 2K Sports just released Top Spin 3 for PS3, XBOX360 and Wii. It's a very cool game and I am a featured player in the game (and also shown digitally on the back cover). For the next month, I plan on asking you some questions for a chance to win a copy of the game. Please give me your best answer as I'll be picking the top 3 winners each week. Without further ado, lets start it off... Who were the past 3 US Olympic Gold medalists in Tennis (this includes Singles & Doubles)?

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.