jamesblake's Blog - Yardbarker

19
Aug
Back in the States after my Olympic experience

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
26 Comments
10
Aug
I Won My First Olympic Match

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
90 Comments
06
Aug
Checking in from Beijing Olympics

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.
44 Comments
25
Jul
Still in Toronto.....

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.
10 Comments
21
Jul
What's up to the Yard? Enter my contest and win the new Top Spin 3 video game

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)?
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Back in the States after my Olympic experience

I Won My First Olympic Match

Checking in from Beijing Olympics

Still in Toronto.....

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

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