Blake Loses 4th Consecutive Match at ATP Houston

James Blake has rocketed into the Top 10 in 2006, but the American is turning out to be a one-trick pony on anything but hardcourts, on Tuesday losing in the first round of the ATP claycourt event at Houston 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-1 to French qualifier Antony Dupuis.

"No excuses," Blake told reporters after the loss on the difficulties in transitioning from the grass to clay. "(Roddick) had to make the same adjustment. Antony served very well. These guys are all so good you have to be on top of your game every night."

For Blake it was his fourth consecutive loss, coming off two on grasscourts last weekend when the U.S. Davis Cup team defeated Chile. Blake has a struggling 6-9 win-loss record over the last two years on surfaces outside of hardcourts/carpet.

American winners Tuesday at the U.S. Claycourt Championships were No. 1 seed Andy Roddick (d. Capdeville), wildcard Mardy Fish (d. (8) Monaco 7-6 in the third), unseeded Vince Spadea (d. Berlocq), and qualifier Scoville Jenkins (d. (Q) Kunitsyn in three).

"He's in great shape," Fish told reporters of outlasting Monaco in the third-set breaker. "That's his best weapon, wearing other players down...I played him in the Australian Open last year. Beat him 9-7 in the fifth. It took 4-1/2 hours."

Roddick is now 24-2 in Houston over the last six years, winning three titles in five finals.

"I felt pretty good coming off of last weekend," Roddick told reporters. "The transition coming off grass last week to clay was pretty evident in this match but I thought if I could get through this one I'd be all right.

Other players into the second round were Germans Alexander Waske (d. Vanek 7-6 in the third) and Rainer Schuettler (d. (Q) Muller, bagel in the first), and Spaniard Fernando Vicente (d. Reynolds).

Highlights of Wednesday play on the dirt are (5) Haas vs. Waske in an all-German, (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. (WC) T.Blake/Goldstein, (4) Baghdatis vs. (WC) Witten, (1) Roddick vs. Marach, and Horna/Monaco vs (WC) J.Blake/Fish.