Blake not as good as Ashe or Washington

B

BlackgirlX

Banned
Malivai Washington reached a grand slam final winning a tough five set match against Todd Martin. When Malivai Washington reached the Wimbledon final eleven years ago the USA media just shrugged its shoulders. Yet the same USA media hype James Blake a player that hasn't even reached a grand slam semifinal. Blake has no heart. Blake has used race as a marketing tool by selling his sob story and getting on to the NY TIMES best seller list. Yet a player as mediocore as Blake doesn't deserve the media attention he gets. I wonder if the media will remove the kid gloves and go after Blake hard like they did to the other American men when they don't live up to expectations. Perhaps the press are expecting too much? James Blake has a 1-10 five set match record. I think that says it all Blake clearly cannot win a five set match against somebody under the age of 30. Santoro is 34 years old and Blake caught a break there. Santoro also doesn't have a big serve but Haas does. And Haas saved three match points Blake just wasn't playing smart on those match points he should of blocked the ball instead of trying to hit a hard shot. Arthur Ashe did win three grand slams. James Blake cannot even win a big match. Today once again Blake capitulated when it mattered the most.
 
BlackgirlX said:
Malivai Washington reached a grand slam final winning a tough five set match against Todd Martin. When Malivai Washington reached the Wimbledon final eleven years ago the USA media just shrugged its shoulders. Yet the same USA media hype James Blake a player that hasn't even reached a grand slam semifinal. Blake has no heart. Blake has used race as a marketing tool by selling his sob story and getting on to the NY TIMES best seller list. Yet a player as mediocore as Blake doesn't deserve the media attention he gets. I wonder if the media will remove the kid gloves and go after Blake hard like they did to the other American men when they don't live up to expectations. Perhaps the press are expecting too much? James Blake has a 1-10 five set match record. I think that says it all Blake clearly cannot win a five set match against somebody under the age of 30. Santoro is 34 years old and Blake caught a break there. Santoro also doesn't have a big serve but Haas does. And Haas saved three match points Blake just wasn't playing smart on those match points he should of blocked the ball instead of trying to hit a hard shot. Arthur Ashe did win three grand slams. James Blake cannot even win a big match. Today once again Blake capitulated when it mattered the most.
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None of this matters. Blake tried his best and lost. It's not like he lost on purpose in some betting scam. No need for the media to go after him. It's not the American public's right he win matches. Also, Blake gets more media attention than Washington did because there are not as many good Americans in the game today. Washington would have been in the shadow of Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Chang etc.

Blake is good, but he's Henman good, not Sampras good. I still don't understand why some people on these boards seem to get almost offended when people lose matches. All anyone can ask of someone is that they try their best, but sometimes they are just not good enough. This game is not easy and nor is the competition.
 
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Why does it always come down to race? Blake is as much white as he is black. Blake using his race as a marketing tool for his book? How bout he has an extraordinary story to tell about his life and the hardships he has faced.

Blake has yet to reach a Grandslam Semi final that is why his expectations aren't as high as say Roddick who has won a Grandslam and been to 3 other Slam finals. It has nothing to do with his race. Get over it.
 
Blake has not done well in big matches. He goes into his own shell and gets too nervy in the fifth sets. And he is inconsistent. Ok, so he is no Ashe. But he plays a hard physical game. To say that he has no heart is too harsh and unfounded. The rest of your tirade deserves no mention.
 
I'm beginning to question the OP's own stated race. The posts "she" puts up here ... well let's just say they don't seem credible to me.

- KK
 
I agree with what was said about him as a player but the whole race thing is off the mark. I don't think he has anything to do with the marketing, Nike and his other sponsors do that. He's a good looking guy who can easily appeal to many races because of his mixed background and he's also a decent person. Sponsors drools over all that. But is Blake overhyped and overrated? Yes. He's probably more known to the average American than Fed or Nadal. I blame the tennis marketers (ESPN, CBS) for that because they tend to show only Americans playing while they only show Fed and Nadal because they're the best and they are the ones winning the titles, they have no choice but to show them.
 
why must we compare blake to other black players?

while its not always really offensive, its still ignorant to compare someone to another player or have certain expectations of someone because of their race, whether YOU are black or not. why must you only care/complain about people of your color?

and why does it matter whether he "lives up" to other black player's accomplishments? That's BS, he is his own person, and while he may not be a grand slammer he's still one of the best damn players on the planet and he's making a good living.

must he be branded as a failure because he can't replicate other black player's success or just because he wont be number 1 or beat federer or break any records?

did you even read the book? its about overcoming crippling difficulties like neck break, his dad's death, his disease, his color wasn't even really mentioned as one of this problems, mainly he had said his parents had a hard time because they weren't the same color. for a guy who has no talent, wasnt groomed to be a champion since age 3, faced with such obstacles, he is pretty inspirational to reach number 4 in the world and this was after dropping from like number 24 which wasn't even that high. but i guess unless someone is number 1 and can beat sampras or federer, they are completely worthless and should give up on life. what does that philosophy say for you?

blake is not as good as the other guys in the top 20, maybe not even half the talent, watch his clumsy form and movement, but he has tons of heart, enough to make up for it and that says something about how hard this guy works and how much he believes in himself.

guys like the joker, or agassi grow up being told they will be number 1. guys like federer or blake are the true heroes because their dads never even believed they could be number 1
 
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James has some serious weapons but he is not a smart player. I think he maybe the American Gonzo. He should really change his coach but he's too soft to make that tough choice.
 
White Americans are the ones that created the one drop rule and yes James Blake looks black therefore he's black. I didn't create the race rules of America white people did from the days of slavery to the present. The media also views Blake as a black man so don't complain to me about that. If Blake wasn't a famous tennis player he would be just any regular ordinary young black man. And the reason I compared Blake to Washington and Ashe is because those two guys were the last two top African American male tennis players. Malivai Washington and Ashe are Blake's role models if you didn't know. Blake is very overrated he will have a solid career and make some good money but its insulting to Arthur's legacy to compare this choker to him.
 
BlackgirlX said:
White Americans are the ones that created the one drop rule and yes James Blake looks black therefore he's black. I didn't create the race rules of America white people did from the days of slavery to the present. The media also views Blake as a black man so don't complain to me about that. If Blake wasn't a famous tennis player he would be just any regular ordinary young black man. And the reason I compared Blake to Washington and Ashe is because those two guys were the last two top African American male tennis players. Malivai Washington and Ashe are Blake's role models if you didn't know. Blake is very overrated he will have a solid career and make some good money but its insulting to Arthur's legacy to compare this choker to him.
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The only person that's comparing Ashe to Blake is you.
 
BlackgirlX said:
White Americans are the ones that created the one drop rule and yes James Blake looks black therefore he's black. I didn't create the race rules of America white people did from the days of slavery to the present. The media also views Blake as a black man so don't complain to me about that. If Blake wasn't a famous tennis player he would be just any regular ordinary young black man. And the reason I compared Blake to Washington and Ashe is because those two guys were the last two top African American male tennis players. Malivai Washington and Ashe are Blake's role models if you didn't know. Blake is very overrated he will have a solid career and make some good money but its insulting to Arthur's legacy to compare this choker to him.
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I don't get it. So basically you hate Blake because he's black and he isn't as successful as Arthur Ashe?

How is he overrated? It's not like he's predicted to win slams. He's a great hard court player. He has a winning record against Nadal, Federer doesn't. He's been to Master Series finals and the finals of the Masters Cup each time losing to Federer. Last year he was third in total titles. He's a very accomplished player late in his career. If Arthur Ashe played during this era he probably wouldn't be winning any slams either with Federer around.

It seems to me like your embarrassed that a black player isn't at the very top of the sport.
 
enough is enough

This is exactly why Im debating leaving this forum. All thats ever on here is bashing, trolling and negative comments. I joined here because I thought I would get to chat with other intelligent human beings that love the game of tennis. Its like Im surrounded with nothing but teenage drama queens who can't just simply sit back and admire such a great sport and appreciate the level of talent and athleticism it takes to compete at this level. Every discussion always has to turn into one player getting bashed or players nationalities getting bashed, or just plain ignorance like the OP of this thread. Not like this place with lose anything with me not here, but Im going to go look for another forum, maybe with some adults who just love to talk about tennis and nothing else.
 
Blake is better then Washington. Blake just chokes against top 10 opponents. Ashe was the best Black male player to date. He had the right style and form to have a chance to beat the best of his era. Blake is a great player but mentally he is not yet a Grand Slam caliber champion. Maybe next year will be the year!
 
Washington has reached a grand slam final and Blake has never gotten past the quaterfinals of the US OPEN. Washington was won more five set matches then Blake. Washington was a smaller man but he made the most of his ability. Blake is mentally weak and his 1-10 five set record is proof of this. Sure Blake can win a five set match against a weak server like Santoro but he folded today as usual against Haas. Washington was a fighter he never gave up ever. Blake always folds when things get tough.
 
BlackgirlX said:
White Americans are the ones that created the one drop rule and yes James Blake looks black therefore he's black. I didn't create the race rules of America white people did from the days of slavery to the present. The media also views Blake as a black man so don't complain to me about that. If Blake wasn't a famous tennis player he would be just any regular ordinary young black man. And the reason I compared Blake to Washington and Ashe is because those two guys were the last two top African American male tennis players. Malivai Washington and Ashe are Blake's role models if you didn't know. Blake is very overrated he will have a solid career and make some good money but its insulting to Arthur's legacy to compare this choker to him.
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How is he overrated?

He made the final in cincinatti, then won the Pilot Pen, then makes it to the 4th round of the U.S. Open, seems like pretty decent tennis to me the past 3 and a half weeks.

The top 10 other than Nadal/Federer are a toss up every time they play. They are all quality players and can beat the other on any give day. Nadal and Federer are special players that are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

To rag on Blake just because he hasn't won majors like Ashe or made a final yet like Washington is ignorant.
 
Blake is ranked number six he wasn't supposed to lose in the fourth round. The media and public projected that Blake should of at least reached the semifinals because he has a 6-0 edge against Davydenko. Davydenko has got to be breathing a bit easier now that he knows his opponent in the quaterfinals is Haas and not Blake. Blake struggled against two thirty somethings in Santoro and Koubek those two guys don't have Haas serve. Blake's serve is a weakness he gets broken far too often. Blake serves with a locked wrist. The media make a big deal that Blake serve's hard but his serve is not powerful at all its too predictable and very weak that's why he's broken so much. And I think that's part of the reason why he lost to Haas he simply got broken too much. Blake lost the match in the fourth set to be broken three times and lose it six love is also exposes what a mental midget Blake is too.
 
BlackgirlX said:
Blake is ranked number six he wasn't supposed to lose in the fourth round. The media and public projected that Blake should of at least reached the semifinals because he has a 6-0 edge against Davydenko. Davydenko has got to be breathing a bit easier now that he knows his opponent in the quaterfinals is Haas and not Blake. Blake struggled against two thirty somethings in Santoro and Koubek those two guys don't have Haas serve. Blake's serve is a weakness he gets broken far too often. Blake serves with a locked wrist. The media make a big deal that Blake serve's hard but his serve is not powerful at all its too predictable and very weak that's why he's broken so much. And I think that's part of the reason why he lost to Haas he simply got broken too much. Blake lost the match in the fourth set to be broken three times and lose it six love is also exposes what a mental midget Blake is too.
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Why are you so bitter?
 
musicalmedic81 said:
This is exactly why Im debating leaving this forum. All thats ever on here is bashing, trolling and negative comments. I joined here because I thought I would get to chat with other intelligent human beings that love the game of tennis. Its like Im surrounded with nothing but teenage drama queens who can't just simply sit back and admire such a great sport and appreciate the level of talent and athleticism it takes to compete at this level. Every discussion always has to turn into one player getting bashed or players nationalities getting bashed, or just plain ignorance like the OP of this thread. Not like this place with lose anything with me not here, but Im going to go look for another forum, maybe with some adults who just love to talk about tennis and nothing else.
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Heya, don't leave, just put the OP on the ignore list! I've heard nothing but misguided vitriol and spite from this poster and am surprised he/she has not been banned yet. There are lots of people here with structured opinions, great looking racquets and huge love for the game!
 
David L said:
None of this matters. Blake tried his best and lost. It's not like he lost on purpose in some betting scam. No need for the media to go after him. It's not the American public's right he win matches. Also, Blake gets more media attention than Washington did because there are not as many good Americans in the game today. Washington would have been in the shadow of Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Chang etc.

Blake is good, but he's Henman good, not Sampras good. I still don't understand why some people on these boards seem to get almost offended when people lose matches. All anyone can ask of someone is that they try their best, but sometimes they are just not good enough. This game is not easy and nor is the competition.
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Well said. This deserves a reprint in larger font.
 
ivo#1fan said:
Well said. This deserves a reprint in larger font.
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Exactly. Or as Blake said, "I had some opportunities in the fifth set and the tiebreaker, but I didn't take advantage of them, and he did, that's why he's going to the quarterfinals, and I wish him luck."

Or in other words, You win some, you lose some... unless you're Roger Federer... oh wait, that applies to Federer too (just not in the same ratios as everyone else).

And Haas played one of the best matches of his life (Haas fans, correct me if I'm wrong), surprising everyone with his excellent net play and his ability to keep it all together. Both those guys belonged in the quarters, but only one of them could make it there.

We pay professional tennis players to play tennis that we like to watch, and Blake does that. His match with Haas was amazing. Maybe I am just a less experienced fan than some of you and easily impressed, but there were so many great shots in that match! Both players had excellent winner to error ratios, and they were blasting away with everything they had. Contrast it with the Santoro match, which was completely different but beautiful in its own way. The fact that Blake could win that Santoro match and almost win this Haas match shows me that he has a great deal of both talent and skill and that he is a well-rounded player.

Professional tennis is fun in large part because of the variety of styles and personalities. Blake doesn't deserve to be bashed for failing to live up to a particular past player of his ethnicity. He is still young enough to have some good years left in him, and he may get there yet. In the meantime, we will enjoy watching him try, just like we do with all the rest of the top players.
 
That inferior white blood screwing up Blake in 5th sets. Maybe Michael Jordan will give him a blood transfusion.

Mods, please don't nuke blackgirlx - she's way too entertaining. Speaking of Ashe, I imagine him spinning like a lathe in his grave every time she hits the 'Post Reply' button...
 
Blake is better than Washington. Yes Washington did get to one slam final but overall there's not that much of a comparison.

Titles Blake 10, MW 4

Career high ranking Blake 4, MW 11. MW was mostly a top 50 type of player whereas Blake has been consistently top 10 for several years. MW basically had one magical run during a slam and had one good year, but his results have never been as consistent as what Blake has done over the last few years.

Blake made 2 Masters series finals which basically have the same difficulty in fields/draws as slams.

Blake still will play maybe 3-4 years so he will add to that. He may get a magical run like MW did. But even if he doesn't I would still consider him to have a better career right now.

But I am sure Blake could care less about what we think. He is doing the best he can and given his tennis talent compared to other top 10 players. He has far surpassed what I ever thought he would accomplish based on his play early on in his career. If anything I would call him an overachiever.
 
Tchocky said:
James has some serious weapons but he is not a smart player. I think he maybe the American Gonzo. He should really change his coach but he's too soft to make that tough choice.
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You hit the nail on the head Tchocky.

I recall one particular point in the Blake/Haas match. He pounded his hard FH crosscourt to the corner to Haas' forehand...now Blake could have EASILY redirected it up the line for either an outright winner or at least put Haas out of position big time. What did he do? He kept muscling and pounding it the the FH side..almost to shows that he "can". I think he lost the point but I can't remember.

Just bad bad tennis instincts. He'll never be like the great Arthur Ashe.
 
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