Blake Distraught After Dropping ATP Houston Title
Posted on April 20, 2008Two months ago, Top 10er James Blake lost the Delray Beach final to unknown teen Kei Nishikori. On Sunday the American No. 2 behind Andy Roddick suffered another crushing defeated to a lower-ranked player, losing 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 in the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship to No. 84-ranked Marcel Granollers-Pujol.
"It's really tough right now, I'm very upset about it, very disappointed," said Blake, who dropped to 10-12 in career finals. "Being up 3-love [in the third set], I definitely could have served a little better and I wasn't attacking as much. It's tough to do against a guy who plays such good defence and moves as well as he does. It really made it tough for me to execute what I was trying to do."
Granollers-Pujol had never previously advanced past the quarterfinals of an ATP event.
"It's the best day of my life, I think, and I'm very happy for this," Granollers-Pujol told reporters. "I've played tennis since I was very young and have always dreamed of a day like this...James was playing a lot better than me, he was very involved in the match and I couldn't find a way to play him. But at 3-2, the game changed a little and I got back in it."
"It's really tough right now, I'm very upset about it, very disappointed," said Blake, who dropped to 10-12 in career finals. "Being up 3-love [in the third set], I definitely could have served a little better and I wasn't attacking as much. It's tough to do against a guy who plays such good defence and moves as well as he does. It really made it tough for me to execute what I was trying to do."
Granollers-Pujol had never previously advanced past the quarterfinals of an ATP event.
"It's the best day of my life, I think, and I'm very happy for this," Granollers-Pujol told reporters. "I've played tennis since I was very young and have always dreamed of a day like this...James was playing a lot better than me, he was very involved in the match and I couldn't find a way to play him. But at 3-2, the game changed a little and I got back in it."