James Blake

James Riley Blake (born 28 December 1979) is an American professional tennis player.

Related Topics:
28 December - 1979 - American - Tennis

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Blake was born in Yonkers, New York to parents Thomas Sr. (an African-American) and Betty (who is European-English). He has a brother, Thomas Jr., who is also a professional tennis player, and two older half-brothers, Christopher and Howard.

Related Topics:
Yonkers - New York - Thomas Jr.

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Blake attended Fairfield Warde High School, in Fairfield, Connecticut. He dropped out of Harvard University after his sophomore year to pursue a career in tennis. Blake was inspired to pursue tennis after hearing his role model, Arthur Ashe, speak to the Harlem Junior Tennis Program. Brian Barker was his first (and current) coach.

Related Topics:
Fairfield Warde High School - Fairfield - Connecticut - Harvard University - Sophomore - Arthur Ashe

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At age 21, Blake saw his first Davis Cup action in 2001 against India and became the third African-American man to play the Davis Cup for the United States. Blake won the 2002 USTA Waikola Challenger in Hawaii. He has also twice won the Hopman Cup (with Serena Williams & Lindsay Davenport).

Related Topics:
Davis Cup - 2001 - India - United States - 2002 - USTA Waikola Challenger - Hawaii - Hopman Cup - Serena Williams - Lindsay Davenport

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Blake was named Rookie of the Year for the 2000 World Team Tennis season, and he has appeared in People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. He is also good friends with singer/songwriter John Mayer, who is also from Fairfield.

Related Topics:
2000 - John Mayer

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Away from tennis, Blake also enjoys golf, basketball, and baseball. Blake has also been featured on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown.

Related Topics:
Golf - Basketball - Baseball - Bravo - Celebrity Poker Showdown

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2004 was an especially difficult year for Blake. He broke his neck while practicing at a tournament in Rome in May, developed shingles, and in July lost his father to cancer. James did not know if he would ever play tennis again. However, he persevered with help from his family and friends, reentered the tennis world at No. 210 and climbed up to 49 in the rankings. He entered the 2005 US Open as a wildcard, where he staged a remarkable comeback, defeating 2nd seed Rafael Nadal in the round of 32. In beating his next opponent, Blake achieved his best Grand Slam effort of his career reaching the quarterfinals, where he succumbed to Andre Agassi in a fifth-set tiebreak.

Related Topics:
2004 - Rome - Shingles - Cancer - 2005 US Open - Rafael Nadal - Andre Agassi

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His main weapon is his "monster forehand", giving him an ability to hit down-the-line winners from seemingly impossible positions. He is also very agile and covers the court extremely well. His first serve, while powerful, is somewhat mercurial, its accuracy sometimes fluctuating between the seventies and the low thirties in a single match.

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