[ktwtennis]

Anyone notice how bad his results have been since at least the beginning of the clay season? And he just lost to a player ranked outside of the top 300 in the first round!! Come on James!!

 

[Experimentee]

I know :sad:

The worst thing is hes been getting good draws but hes not playing well enough to take advantage.

 

[jmp]

Was that first round loss at Newport? Arghhhh! I think that tournament was a good coming out party for him two years ago. But, he might want to give Newport a rest now. Yes, he can get face time with a lot of big wigs. But, if he can't produce at such a small tournament with a weak field, it becomes more of a liability than an asset.

I think a lot of people are noticing his slip as of late. A couple of posts on a thread on the mens' forum at wtaworld got me curious about Blake. I haven't found anything definitive in print. The press keeps harping on his bad temper as a kid and how he projects negativity on the court now. I've read suggestions of a new coach ala Brad and Andy and a psychologist.

I've come to the conclusion that he needs to get away from the circuit for a couple of months. I understand that top 30 was a great achievement for him. He got there pretty quickly and on natural ability. If he steps away from tournaments, he may be able to look at his personal situation in a more objective light. Does he want to try to get into the top 20/10? What specific plan is he capable of executing to give him the best chance of achieving these goals? But, first and foremost, he needs to go into semi seclusion.

 

[Lindsayfan]

i was thinking the same after he lost to carraz.what's wrong with jamie?maybe he's too much taken in covers-magazines-adverts and he isnt focused on tennis as much as before?

 

[Gonzo Hates Me!]

Well, I am so excited because I just bought my tickets for Legg Mason to see Blake slump some more defending his title. Hehehe... go Roger and Andy

 

[d_b_prince]

Uh-oh, Blake's gonna take a major drop in the rankings unless he miraculously defends his Washington title. If he keeps performing at such a poor level he could fall out of the top 32 and miss being seeded for the US Open.

 

[tennischick]

the Tennis Magazine curse strikes again!! once you appear on the cover, your career starts to sink. trust me on this...

 

[Tennis Fool]

His losses seemed to have started after the disaster of Davis Cup. PMac kept telling him he was a "top 10 player" to get him motivated. Obviously it didn't work

 

[Tennis Fool]

To be fair, isn't Blake fighting a shoulder injury?

 

[d_b_prince]

To be fair, isn't Blake fighting a shoulder injury?

That was the word at Wimbledon. Who really knows with James these days? He may very well have a shoulder problem, but I think the major problem right now is his head.

 

[ktwtennis]

the Tennis Magazine curse strikes again!! once you appear on the cover, your career starts to sink. trust me on this...

I hadn't noticed this until now!! lol

 

[EboneSBlake]

I have no idea what's wrong with daddy. I think Mom has sapped his energy. Don't mind me, I'm just unborn...

 

[Lee]

I have the feeling that Blake lost his confidence after being totally destroyed by Guga in QF of IW. The one that had American crowd cheering for Guga instead of an American at the end of the match. He was lost and seemed not able to find his way back to tennis after that.

 

[jmp]

Lee, is there an article or a thread on this? I'm trying to keep an open mind about IW. But, they seem to have a very bad rep.

 

[Lee]

Lee, is there an article or a thread on this? I'm trying to keep an open mind about IW. But, they seem to have a very bad rep.

No!

I saw the match on TV and saw Blake was very dejected at the end of the match. Also, he was still down after the post match interview.

 

[jmp]

Thanks, Lee.

 

[d_b_prince]

I would also say his loss in Davis Cup was, by far, the most heart-breaking. He wanted to win for his country so much but couldn't come through. It must have been a real let-down. Also that fourth round defeat at the Aussie Open was disappinting for him, especially because of all the pressure that was put on him by the American public to win and get through to his first ever GS quarterfinal.

 

[jmp]

I saw the Davis Cup loss, Leo. It makes sense that all these losses would start to pile up and prey on James' mind. :sad:

 

[Lee]

I would also say his loss in Davis Cup was, by far, the most heart-breaking. He wanted to win for his country so much but couldn't come through. It must have been a real let-down. Also that fourth round defeat at the Aussie Open was disappinting for him, especially because of all the pressure that was put on him by the American public to win and get through to his first ever GS quarterfinal.

These definitely not helping too!

And to make things worse, people start talking about replacing him in DC with Ginepri :fiery: :fiery: I like Ginepri too but there are the whole hard court season ahead and they start discarding James who's been so devoted to the team