James Blake Retirement Thread

[cezero]

I thought I'd open a thread for actual tennis fans to talk about Blake.

I think Blake maximized his potential more than any other US player of the past 10 years besides Roddick.

Blake never had much of a mid court or net game. He had a bullet forehand and incredible speed. That was pretty much it. And look what he accomplished with his limited weapons.

I remember seeing him when he first came on tour, after choosing to leave Harvard. He said that he was just giving the tour a try to see if he could make a decent living off of it. Boy did he ever.

Great guy. I hope he does commentary because he's also very intelligent. Best of luck to Blake in the future.

 

[bksballer89]

I used to love Blake. He was great for a few years and I believe he was the top ranked american for a little while. I used to love watching him at the Open years ago when the J-Block section used to go crazy

 

[Smart]

The one thing that I always respected about Blake is that he seemed to be having fun and appreciating every minute on tour. I had the chance to interact with him at the Winnetka Challenger and he was every bit what I expected.

And yes, he definitely made the most of his skills. Even moreso than Roddick. Blake had no business being in the top 10, but his mental toughness made him a mainstay for years.

 

[Yu Lee - A Nova Lover]

I thought I'd open a thread for actual tennis fans to talk about Blake.

As opposed the threads that cater to the racists and bigots
who only cheer for someone based on the player's race.

James Blake is a class act whose injuries limited his career... but... he still achieved more than many talented, healthy professionals.

 

[cezero]

First time I saw him play was at Newport over a decade ago. It was fun to watch. I'll miss him on the tour.