James Blake (tennis)

James Riley Blake ( born December 28, 1979 in Yonkers, New York ) is a former American tennis player who was number four in the world rankings in 2006.

• 2.1 Single 2.1.1 Siege
• 2.1.2 finals

• 2.2.1 Siege
• 2.2.2 finals

Tennis career

Blake was inspired to play by Arthur Ashe Tennis. Getting attention on the professional tour, he caught at the U.S. Open in 2001 when he was able to force the world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the second round of the tournament over the full term of five sets, but ultimately lost. At age 21, he played for the first time for the United States in the Davis Cup against India and became the third player of African descent, who competed in the Davis Cup for the United States. With Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport he was twice the Hopman Cup win.

2002-2004

2002, it came at the U.S. Open for a renewed battle with Hewitt, this time in the third round of the tournament, and Blake was again finally inferior after five sets. That same year, Blake was a tournament of the Challenger series and in Washington, DC his first tournament on the pro tour win ( along with two other finals ) and finished the season in the Top 30 players of the tennis world rankings. After 2003, a rather quiet year for Blake with only one final appearance on the professional tour and a season Dran King of number 37 was, 2004 was an extremely difficult year for the 24 -year-old Americans. So he retired during a training session in May of this year a broken neck to and narrowly escaped a paraplegia. Six weeks later, his father died of cancer before the next check was for Blake two weeks later with shingles, which caused a temporary paralysis of his left side of the face. In November of the year Blake was able to start training again and he was now far fallen in the world rankings.

2005-2009

2005 was a comeback season for the Americans, who managed to return the top 50 tennis players in the world in the summer. In New Haven he finally succeeded in his second career title before he could play it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, where he defeated his compatriot Andre Agassi in five sets only. Still later in the year Blake succeeded another tournament victory in Stockholm, which he played up to number 22 in the world rankings at season's end.

The 2006 season should be even more successful for the now 26 -year-old Blake, who won his first season in Sydney title in January. After another title his first finals followed at a tournament the Masters Series in Indian Wells category. With three other titles, as well as a new quarter finals at the U.S. Open Blake succeeded at the end of participation in the Tennis Masters Cup, the season finale of the best eight players of the past season. Here Blake won two group games against Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko to the semi-finals of the event. Against the Argentine David Nalbandian Blake succeeded with a clear 6-4, 6-1 victory of reaching the final of the prestigious tournament, where he however clearly succumbed to the world number one Roger Federer with 0:6, 3:6, 4:6. For Blake the catchment already means the final of the fifth most important tennis tournament the biggest success of his career to date, and end of the season he was ranked fourth in the world rankings.

At the beginning of 2007, Blake was again won the tournament in Sydney and reached the second round of the Australian Open, where he lost to Fernando González. In Wimbledon the Americans failed in the third round. The end of July he reached the final of the tournament in Los Angeles, where he lost to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic. In August, Blake reached the final of the Masters tournament in Cincinnati. There, he lost to Roger Federer with 1:6 and 4:6. However, in the following week he celebrated his tenth overall victory on the tour at the ATP tournament in New Haven, where he in the final of his compatriot Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-4 beat. At the U.S. Open in September, he reached the second round, he lost to Tommy Haas in five sets.

During the Australian Open James Blake reached the quarter- finals, where he defeated Roger Federer, however, 7:5, 7:6 ( 7:5 ), 6:3. At the French Open Blake lost in round 2 against the Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Also at Wimbledon was for Blake already in round 2 terminus. There, he lost to eventual semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler. At the Olympic Games in Beijing, however, he defeated Roger Federer in straight sets 6-4, 7-6. It was the first time that James Blake was able to win against Roger Federer. In the semifinals he was defeated after a dramatic match Fernando González. In the match for bronze he lost to Novak Djokovic in the connection. At the U.S. Open came back early from Blake in the third round against compatriot Mardy Fish.

In the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, Blake was defeated in the second round of the Australian Open Frenchman Jo -Wilfried Tsonga smooth in three sets. Beginning of May reached James Blake for the first time in his career the final of the Estoril Open (ATP World Tour 250), where they lost in three sets to the set of seven Spaniards Albert Montanes. In the grass tournament at Queen's Club in London Blake was defeated in the finals the Scot Andy Murray. Both the Grand Slam tournament in Paris ( French Open ) and the London ( Wimbledon Championships ) Blake lost each his first-round match.

2010 to present

The 2010 season was rather bad for James Blake. At the Australian Open was eliminated in the second round at the French Open, he could not compete due to a knee injury for the first time since 2004. At Wimbledon, he lost already in the opening round Robin Haase. At the U.S. Open, he retired in the third round against Novak Djokovic. From the beginning to the end of the season was James Blake in the world ranking of rank 44 from rank 135. In the following season he moved up to December 2011, again on rank 59, as in 2010 he remained without a title. He dropped out of both the Australian Open and the French Open, Wimbledon he did not come on the first, at the U.S. Open not go beyond the second round. In the course of the 2012 season, James Blake was once again out of the top 100 in the world rankings. Again he refused to start at the Australian Open as he retired at the French Open and Wimbledon in the first round. Only at the U.S. Open, he was able to reach the third round. His greatest success of the season was the victory in the doubles competition at the Sam Houston Querreys page.

In the 2013 season, James Blake, was the first in the Australian Open to, but different in the qualifier. In doubles, James Blake celebrated further success. With Jack Sock, he reached the final in Miami, shortly after they won the tournament in Delray Beach. At the French Open, he was directly qualified for the main draw, however, came like in the previous years does not go beyond the first round. Shortly before the U.S. Open, he announced to end his career after the tournament. He lost his first round match against Croatian Ivo Karlović just in five sets with 7:62, 6:3, 4:6, 6:72 and 6:72. In doubles, he lost on 29 August, 2013, on the side of Jack Sock, with the opening match his last professional game.

Davis Cup

James Blake graduated between 2001 and 2009 a total of 17 matches for the U.S. Davis Cup team. He won 18 of his 29 singles and three of his four double batches. He was on the team that won the Davis Cup in 2007.

Achievements

Singles

Win

Finals

Doubles

Win

Finals

Private

James Blake's parents are of African Americans Thomas Blake Sr. and his British-born wife Betty. In November 2012, he married Emily Snider in California. In June 2012, she became parents of a daughter.