In Defeat, Blake Shows Talent and Grace

N E W  Y O R K, Sept. 2, 2002 -- 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."

If so, it will be more for his brain than his bravado. Unlike McEnroe and Connors, whose tantrums tantalized kids with the notion of sassing their elders, Blake's demeanor tells young players they can take another road to recognition: grit, grace and candor.

"I was just a little disappointed in my (service) returns," Blake told reporters Saturday. "I felt I could have broken (Hewitt) a couple more times… he just came up with some great shots, though."

Rising Above Racial Divisions

That draws the inevitable comparison to fellow African-American Ashe, among the most cerebral and gracious of American sports celebrities. At last year's Open, Hewitt appeared to condemn a linesman's calls against him, suggesting they were the result of favoritism to Blake, a fellow African-American. Hewitt wanted the linesman removed, he told the chair umpire.

In this year's match, a fan shouted out: "Don't let him beat you, James; he's a racist!" Perhaps as Ashe might have done, Blake refused the bait. He tamped down the notion of ugliness in his opponent's behavior.

As he and Hewitt shook hands at the net, he explained, "I just apologized for any fans that were, you know, speaking out negatively."

By contrast, Hewitt bluntly dismissed the fan's sentiment: "You're always going to get some nutters in the crowd. Can't do much about it."

On the contrary, Blake apologized for it, moving the subject — and tennis — to a higher level.