In Defeat, Blake Shows Talent and Grace
N E W Y O R K, Sept. 2 -- On center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, he had seemed taller, his crop of dreadlocks flaring above his head, and his oddly stiff posture adding to an appearance of height.
Now, in an interview room at the U.S. Open, James Blake of Yonkers, Connecticut, and Harvard University, was smaller, his hair matted down and hidden beneath a turned-back cap, his shoulders rounded and slumped.
His words created a picture of thoughtfulness. He had just fallen in a five-set loss to the world's top player, Leyton Hewitt of Australia: "We fought our hearts out," Blake said. "We both fought to the end. He came up with great shots, I came up with great shots."
It was the spectacle of their struggle, he concluded, that made it worthwhile. "I really like the fact that if any kid was watching that, they could say, 'I want to be like either one of those two,'" he said.
It's the end of the United States season for America's latest crop of top tennis players. Amid complaints that they are less colorful than their predecessors, the Class of 2002 struggles with its image: the stern visage of male model Jan-Michael Gambill, who seems eternally angry; the twinkle of Andy Roddick, who is battling a "sophomore slump"; and the new age image of Blake, whose slashing ground strokes speak volumes about his promise.
Blake Compared to Tennis Greats
Of Blake, the usually sharp-tongued Hewitt offered this perspective: "He's a nice guy, no doubt about that. I think everyone knows that."
In the span of August, Blake enlarged his presence in the world of tennis. First, he defeated Andre Agassi in convincing fashion and won a premier Assocation of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament in Washington, DC, then he pushed Hewitt to the limit for the second year in a row on the big stage at Flushing Meadows.Now comes comparison to some of America's greatest players of the late 20th century: Arthur Ashe, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Agassi.
"Blake's smart, he's impressive," said a veteran tennis writer, Jerry Magee of the San Diego-Union Tribune, who was waiting for Hewitt to appear for questions. "He is going to make a big difference in the game."
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