Blake, Ginepri Provide Upsets at US Open; Canas Hopes to Play During Appeal

Blake converted on six of his eight break opportunities, firing 10 aces to Nadal's two, and said the crowd support from his "J-Block" and the rest of fans in Arthur Ashe stadium put him over the top.

"It looked like Rafael was getting a little upset towards the end of the match noticing that my fans were pretty vocal," Blake said. "I'm proud that they never make it personal and they never do anything too negative toward the other player...maybe it helps that it was during the day and they maybe didn't have quite as many Heinekens today. That helps, I think."

Nadal said Blake's forehand and speed combined to compound the problems he was having with his game during the first week of the Open.

"I lost a little bit of confidence about me," said Nadal on getting rolled in the fourth set. "I am not playing good this week...There are moments when you don't have the confidence and this is one of those moments."

No. 7 seed Andre Agassi later in the day showed he is far from finished, with the cortisone-powered 35-year-old weathering the big serve and ground game of 6-foot-4 Czech teen Tomas Berdych, losing the first set but winning in four.

"I went out there and I certainly didn't have my rhythm," Agassi said. "I was just sort of out of sorts. I wasn't timing it well. I think I was still in the lockerroom there in the first set."

Other seeded winners Saturday were (8) Guillermo Coria (d. Soderling in four), (13) Richard Gasquet (d. (18) Ljubicic in five), and (19) Tommy Robredo (d. Grosjean in four).

Ljubicic's serve failed him in the fifth set against Gasquet, with the Croat throwing in only 52 percent of his first serves. Ljubicic hit 20 aces to Gasquet's six, but was only 3 for 10 on break point opportunities.

Robby Ginepri made his first US Open round of 16 appearance after outlasting No. 29 seed Tommy Haas in five sets in a match that ended well after midnight.

"I stayed strong mentally and physically throughout the whole match and I feel great," Ginepri said. "I'm just working a lot harder and every day is a great day, I'm trying to stay positive."

Unseeded Xavier "X-Man" Malisse was also an upset-maker Saturday, edging (24) Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 in the fifth to advance to face Agassi. Youzhny managed only 47 percent of his first serves over five sets, and was out-aced 14 to six.

Malisse is 0-4 versus Agassi in their career meetings.

Last year's hardcourt Olympics champ Nicolas Massu was the winner in the only all-unseeded match, rolling Stanislas Wawrinka in straights, baking a bagel in the third set.

Lined up for Sunday on the men's side are (1) Federer vs. (27) Olivier "Coch" Rochus, (3) Hewitt vs. (25) Taylor "Acci-" Dent, (11) Nalbandian vs. (21) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, (15) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty vs. (17) Ferrer, (30) Max "The Beast" Mirnyi vs. Nieminen, Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco vs. Djokovic, Sanguinetti vs. Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, and Kiefer vs. Clement.

Davenport, Mauresmo, Henin Win Saturday at US Open

Current or former No. 1s Lindsay Davenport (d. Medina Garrigues), Amelie Mauresmo (d. (31) Groenefeld), and Justine Henin-Hardenne (d. Cho), led the winners into the fourth round Saturday with straight-set wins at the US Open.

Davenport struggled early on, dropping her first service game along with a few silently-mouthed f-bombs in the first set, then on her second service game came back from 0-40 down to hold.

For Henin-Hardenne it was the opposite, a quick start in the first set followed by a drop in concentration.

"I think I played first set and the beginning of the second with a very high intensity," said Henin-Hardenne, who baked a bagel in the first then won 7-6 in the second. "I was playing very well, then I lost a bit of my aggressivity. I didn't play very bad when she broke to come to 3-1 in the second, but after that the match changed a little bit. I was a little too far behind the baseline."

No. 6 seed Elena Dementieva edged fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 in the third, drawing on her experience after winning 6-1 then dropping the second set.

"I think it was very close and it was very emotional for both of us," Dementieva commented on Chakvetadze appearing near tears at the end of the match. "Maybe she doesn't have so much experience as I do."

Other seeded winners were (11) Patty Schnyder (d. (24) Asagoe), (12) Mary Pierce (d. (17) Jankovic who retired with a back injury), (15) Nathalie Dechy (d. (23) Golovin in three), and (19) Elena Likhovtseva (d. (13) Myskina in three sets, fighting off match points).

"I played aggressive but then I started missing the balls I need to win," said Myskina who led 5-2 in the third, her eyes red from crying after the match. "But no one died, it is OK."

On Sunday's schedule are (1) Sharapova vs. Mirza, (4) Clijsters vs. Vento-Kabchi, (8) Serena vs. (10) Venus in the much-anticipated all-sister battle, and (9) Petrova vs. (26) Vaidisova.

"We'll see you on Sunday," Venus told the US Open crowd Friday. "It's going to be a lot of hard hitting, it's going to be a lot of hard serving. We'll both have a few tricks up our sleeves."

Blake, Ginepri Compete for U.S. No. 2 Davis Cup Spot

Just in time, as the U.S. Davis Cup team fights later this month to retain a position in the 2006 World Group, James Blake stepped up Saturday at the US Open with a win over No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal.

It wasn't on a claycourt, the surface of choice for Belgium as they host the U.S. on Sept. 23 on the red dirt in Leuven, Belgium, but it will do for U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe.

McEnroe has been waiting to fill the void in singles behind Andy Roddick. Now McEnroe has the difficult choice between Blake, who has an uninspiring 18-20 career record on clay, or Robbie Ginepri who is 2-11.

Ginepri's story is one of rededication, realizing earlier this year that he wasn't giving 100 percent to his game. After some hard work Ginepri saw his game resurface this summer with a title at Indianapolis (d. Roddick, Taylor Dent), a quarterfinal at L.A. (l. to Gilles Muller), and a three-set semifinal loss to world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Masters Series-Cincinnati.

With the resurgence, Ginepri has voiced his desire to McEnroe for the No. 2 singles spot against Belgium.

"I've had brief conversations with Patrick but he hasn't told me anything outside of it's between James and I," Ginepri told The Associated Press. "I know that this week and next week will be a factor in his decision. Anytime I can get a chance to play Davis Cup, I definitely want to do it."

Despite his 2-11 record, Ginepri says he's been told his game resembles that of a claycourter.

"I've heard that my game suits the clay better than the hardcourts, even though I don't have too many great results on the clay," Ginepri said. "I totally play like a claycourter. I'm a baseliner, I don't come in too much and I hit a heavy ball."

Not exactly resume material to hand to Captain P-Mac -- 'I'm 2-11 on clay but people say I'm a natural.'

Ginepri helped his cause Saturday night at the US Open, progressing to the round of 16 for the first time with a five-set upset over No. 29 seed Tommy Haas.

Blake's story is one of rebirth after last year sliding head-first into a net post during the claycourt season, fracturing vertebrae in his neck. His father Thomas died of cancer a month later, then as a result of stress he contracted Zoster, which partially paralyzed his face, affected his vision and caused dizziness.

Blake played three more events after the accident, realized he couldn't compete until he was well, and took the rest of the year off. The illness turned out to be a blessing, allowing him to spend precious time with his father before he passed.

This past spring Blake's ranking languished in the No. 200s.

Blake's coach, Brian Barker, has come under scrutiny as someone who could not take him to the next level. Blake says Barker, to the contrary, has brought him to where he is now, a giant-killer on the verge of the US Open quarterfinals.

"If I didn't have my coach Brian Barker there every day telling me, keeping things in perspective, just being honest about how rough it was last year, and then being honest at the beginning of the year, saying 'Yeah, that was a bad match but, what can you expect, you've got to think about the bigger picture,'" Blake said. "Just like he said before this (Nadal) match, 'Go out there, we're proud of you no matter what, do your best, no one's going to think anything but you gave your best today.'"

Now who will back up Roddick as the No. 2 singles player later this month in Belgium?

Blake has a direct line with Roddick -- or sorts.

"I did check however many voice mails I have now, and one of them is Andy," Blake said after beating Nadal. "I'm sure it's a message first congratulating me and then making fun of me for something I'm sure I did wrong on the court. I'll get back at him and I'm sure it will be a similar message where I make fun of him."

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