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Blake Gets 1st Win Over Federer

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A Tribune wire report

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 15, 2008

BEIJING - There was a lot going against Tampa's James Blake as he faced Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's tennis competition Thursday.

Federer came into the match as the No. 1-ranked men's player in the world; Blake was 0-8 lifetime against Federer; and Blake had lost 21 of the 22 sets played.

However, Blake, the lone American still alive in both men's and women's singles play, advanced to the semifinals by defeating Federer, 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Blake faces Chile's Fernando Gonzalez today. In the other semifinal, Serbia's Novak Djokovic faces Spain's Rafael Nadal.

Blake admitted after the match Federer "had an off day," but did not seem bothered to have ended his drought at a time when Federer seemed to have lost his touch on the court and his hold on the game.

"Maybe the law of averages, if I play him enough, he's bound to have an off day against me once," Blake said. "I can't be more elated that it happened at the Olympics."

It was a memorable bout of reconciliation for Blake, who missed the 2004 Athens Games at a time when he feared his promising career might have ended abruptly. He fractured two vertebrae when he tripped into a net post in May 2004. His father died that July. Blake was diagnosed with Zoster, a form of shingles that paralyzed part of his face and gave him blurry vision and vertigo. He took most of the rest of the year off and worried that his best tennis days had passed.

He watched Tampa's Mardy Fish, one of Blake's best friends, win the silver medal in 2004. That helped inspire Blake to push to make the U.S. team this year.

"Playing in the Olympics seemed a long, long way away," Blake said of 2004. "And to think about that, and to think about sitting there watching those matches and the tough times I've had, makes me appreciate everything I've gotten. I know how lucky I am."

Blake had built a 3-0 advantage in the second set against Federer only to be broken on the way to 3-3. With Blake leading 6-5 and Federer serving with the score 30-30, Federer's shot hit the net cord and dropped over for what appeared a crucial point.

"I was a little worried it might turn," Blake said of the match.

The two players held serve to force a tiebreaker, but Federer's sudden habit of unforced errors - he had 56 to Blake's 38 - helped Blake win going away.

When Federer hit a service return long on match point, Blake crouched and shouted "Yeah!" After the two shook hands, Blake clenched his fists and pumped his racket toward the crowd.

Federer has won 12 Grand Slam tournaments, but never an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in 2000 and losing in the first round in 2004.

"I've played him on many occasions, but I think this was the best I've seen him," Federer said. "I'm happy for him. He's a good guy. I hope he can go all the way now."

In women's singles, Americans Venus and Serena Williams both lost. China's Li Na defeated Venus, 7-5, 7-5, while Serena lost to Elena Dementieva, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

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