James Blake Quotes (137 Quotes)

Being down a break and a set doesn't mean that much. I knew that I had the confidence to win the match and luckily it came through for me today. I knew I had to pressure early in the third set. He doesn't have much of an offensive game.

It was a fun crowd. I was down there in the first two rounds in the first few rounds he was kind of on the back court and hearing the crowd go crazy. It seemed like they were almost a soccer crowd because I don't think they were all real tennis fans at the beginning of these few weeks, but by now I'm sure they are. It really does help and make a big difference when you know you have people cheering for you.

I feel confident to go after my shots and feel pretty clear-minded at big moments,

It's something I've been working on for a long time, it just wasn't working tonight. But it's not something I'm going to get too worried about. I'll just go out and work on it at practice tomorrow.

That generation I think people are now realizing was kind of a freak phenomenon, just an unbelievable time in American tennis. Now I think we're going to see our true potential and see how well we can do.

I feel great, ... It's amazing how good you feel after you win. I might have been tired if I had lost.

I felt I wasn't moving my feet too well, ... Once I was in it, I started moving my feet a little better, going after it a little more, just trying to take it into my hand. At the start, I felt like I was pushing and leaving it in his hands, and he took advantage.

Its amazing how good you feel after you win. Six months ago, I never would have had the maturity to come back. I got through it.

If this was my life every week, I would never retire. Knowing as low as I was last year, that I can come back and be playing this well, is a great feeling. Now doing it in front of the friends that got me back to where I am now, keeping me upbeat during some down times ... it just makes me feel good and is yet another reason why I have started to believe that everything happens for a reason.

Andy plays at a little bit different level than some other guys that I played, and he made me hit some more balls today,

The ball's moving so fast these days that sometimes it's impossible for anyone to see, even a trained official.

Alberto's a great player but had a bad day. I'd like to think that was partly because of me, I was putting pressure on him the whole time. I served very well, and once you get rolling with one part of your game the rest of it follows so it's a good feeling.

I felt like it's been completely back since I got off the grass,

It will definitely be fun if I get a chance to play him. We have some sort of a history in the fact that we've had a few five-setters, some really close matches.

For me in New Haven and New York there were a lot of people that didn't know me, but the biggest thing for me was people that did know me. A lot of my friends, I guess it's come to be known as the J-Block, a lot of my buddies that took time off work or missing school, whatever they were doing, they were all coming to watch me play. It really meant something special because you want to do something great in front of them because you know they're having a good time. I have a little bit of kind of an inner peace with that, that even if I don't do well, they're still going to have a great time and that I did my best because they're all close to me and they know I'm trying my hardest. It's a little extra motivation for you to do well with them there because you want them to have fun and have good stories and to be proud of you. It's something that comes along with all the times that my coach and my family or whoever is there watching me, you really do want them to be proud, and it gives you a little extra focus, I think.

What I actually thought of then, ... was the tape that's replayed about five million times every time there's a rain delay here at the Open, when Jimmy Connors says, 'This is what they came for this is what we'll give them.'

I'm happy to finally get a win against one of the best players of all time.

Fernando is always dangerous no matter what, and he started playing like the Fernando I've come to know, the one who can hurt you in an instant. He wasn't pushing like he was in the first couple of sets. He was going after his shots and they were going in.

This one definitely ranks up there. I've been on tour six years and this is my fifth title - it's not like it happens everyday.

Most of my maturity and my different perspective comes from the last year, The J-Block.

You never feel good after a loss, but I guess it's about as good as I can feel, ... I'm happy for the game of tennis. This match was hyped from four or five days ago, and I feel like we lived up to it. We both played a pretty high level of tennis. If there's anyone I am cheering for, it's Andre.

I was just hoping to make it a match.

I really think it is going to in the long run make me a better player giving you the perspective of being out on the court knowing that it's not the end of the world if you lose and that gives you the opportunity to go after your shots a little more, ... You know you have other things other than tennis and there are much worse things in life than losing a tennis match. So it will give me a better perspective, a little more calm on the court. Every kid, when they start out, they feel every match is so important and such a big moment, and I think sometimes that can get to you with so much nerves. Now I don't feel that nearly as much.

If anyone wants to make the statement that they don't think he can win it, I'd love to see him prove them wrong. I am not going to make that statement. I think he has got a great chance.

I am proud to say that I feel like I have a chance to contend for a major for the first time in my life.

Whether I win or lose, it's nice to be able to give it my best.

His serve is a joke. Sometimes it doesn't matter how you return. He can ace you out of a game. If he's hitting his spots, serving at 140 mph from that angle, there's not much you can do except say 'good serve' and move on and not get frustrated. I have to focus on holding serve like I did today.

The rain delay helped me, ... My coach gave me some advice. I regrouped and came back more focused.

I never faced Pete (Sampras) in a match. I think from watching, his is the best serve ever. And he is the only guy that I would probably not take the bet that he would so often offer in practice -- he's down love-40, says '10 bucks, I still hold serve.' I probably wouldn't even take that against him. So many times he would come back and win. He would just put it on the dime. I also wouldn't take the bets when we were just practicing our serves, he put just a tennis ball can on the other side, and says, 'A hundred bucks for who hits more.' That's not a safe bet with him.

And I think the fans, as he gets closer and closer to history, will appreciate it more and more.

If I don't play that game, and he doesn't give me a couple of free ones, it could have gone to a tiebreaker at the end, ... So just a couple of big points here and there in these kind of big matches ... I expect the same today. I expect the same in just about every match I play to be based on a few points. Now I feel like those are going my way.

I couldn't quite break through those two times, ... This time, maybe it will be different. I'm a little stronger mentally and a little better prepared.

It was very important to me because half the tour is in Europe, ... I'm excited and it gives me confidence to know that I can win here. This is the first time I've had success in the European season. Other times I've kind of made my rankings just on the U. S. season and maybe down in Australia a little bit.

Hopefully the maintenance crew won't have as much to do on the court after the first match here. Andy actually came up with that joke, so I blame him. This is the first time my name has been picked. I'm usually second. But playing first, it should be fun.

I've got to start talking to somebody about getting some better draws, ... I always see it as an opportunity. I expect really high-level tennis on Saturday. I couldn't quite break through those times, but maybe this time will be different.

I think it has been blown out of proportion that the grass was meant to make them uncomfortable. It was all about our being comfortable. It's the surface Andy is most comfortable on and I think he's the second best grass court player in the world.

I am good friends with his brother Kevin and PGATour.com is one of the favorites on my computer so I can check out how he is doing, ... It is fun to see Fairfield High guys (make a name for themselves).

I'm grown up and I'm realizing that you can be a man and still cry. There are some things that you can't control. Emotions take you over. I mean, if anyone, if any guy, went through what I went through and didn't cry at his dad's funeral, I'd probably question that person.

It's pretty amazing to me because I was a wild card getting in here.

I fought my heart out, did everything I could, ... He played a little too good. He really started going for broke on some of those, and champions make those. I'm happy for the game of tennis. This match was hyped four or five days ago and I feel like at least it lived up to it.

We weren't sure if I was ever really going to be back to a 100 percent, if I was ever going to be back to this level again. I said whatever tournament I win, the next Grand Slam, you have to wear a gold tooth for the whole time I'm in the tournament.

I really think it is going to make me a better player, giving me the perspective ... that there are much worse things in life than losing a tennis match, ... It will give me a little more calm on the court.

This is the first time I've had success in Europe, previously I've only done well in the States and maybe in Australia.

Dean is doing a great job. He's extremely laid-back and an extremely knowledgeable coach, which I think fits great with our team. He's there to help if we need it. He also knows not to probably go overboard we all have our own coaches, we all know kind of what we're working on in our games, and he just is there to help keep our focus there this week and keep our spirits high, I guess.

He made me earn it today. He's gotten me in so many close matches and beaten me up so many times.

You all better make it light on yourselves and let me have those seats.

It was impressive to watch him on the courts of the French Open, ... Let's hope it is different here in New York.

I hate to let go of a well-kept secret, but I have one of the best coaches in the world,

If I'm up two sets to one and a break, I'm not going to start getting ahead of myself, thinking, 'This is Andre Agassi, the legend, I'm going to beat,' ... I'm just going to try to keep the same maturity and the same focus and perspective I've had so far this tournament and this whole year.

It's not easy to play against him. I'm just happy to get finally get a win against him. He's one of the best players of all-time.