James Blake's 2006 gears

[Dan007]

I found a pic of Blake playing doubles with Stephen Huss but they lost in the first rd. You can see James with the Vaper Zoom 3 instead of Air Max Breathes 3 and a prince racket. I don't have a close up pic. so if anyone else can find one please post so we can figure out the racket he is using.

http://www.jamesblaketennis.com/06Images/adelaidedubs.jpg

 

[McStud]

Yeah.. that's an interesting picture. I'm not sure which racquet that is. Very bland paint job.

 

[Fee]

It's the paintjob that Prince gives to most of its players at one point or another if they are switching or in the middle of development. Check the other two threads in this forum (Pics of new Prince sticks and James Blake signs with Prince) for more pictures and observations from other posters. I'd bet that its either a POG or the raquet that James has been using for the past 4 years.

 

[jamumafa]

Agree with that Fee. Didnt they paint Corias racket black in perp for the NXT?

 

[AJK1]

Well, actually, Blake's gear got lost on the plane trip, so he had to borrow gear.

 

[Fee]

That was last year. If that happened to him for the second year in a row I would fall over laughing.

 

[Dan007]

That was last year. If that happened to him for the second year in a row I would fall over laughing.

What happened to his gears, how did he lose it?

 

[Greekness]

It's very intresting that he is wearing the Vapor 3. I presumed he would wear the B3. Anyway it looks good on him.

 

[Fee]

What happened to his gears, how did he lose it?

You mean his equipment right?

Last year when James was on his way to Australia, his luggage was lost and it took him two days to get it back. He had his racquets but he had to borrow clothes from... Lleyton Hewitt! (I have a hard time believing that considering the difference in their physiques but I think that's what was reported).

I think that was last year, but now I have to wonder if it was two years ago. Sometimes the seasons kind of blur together.

 

[Dan007]

You mean his equipment right?

Last year when James was on his way to Australia, his luggage was lost and it took him two days to get it back. He had his racquets but he had to borrow clothes from... Lleyton Hewitt! (I have a hard time believing that considering the difference in their physiques but I think that's what was reported).

I think that was last year, but now I have to wonder if it was two years ago. Sometimes the seasons kind of blur together.

That is funny. Especially if it happened two year in a row.

 

[badmice2]

the racket looks like the same dunlop he's been using, with a black paint job. the earliest i think he's make the switch to a price racket is at the Australian Open.

 

[zorg]

That would be strange barrowing clothers from Hewitt because they sorta had a little "situation" on the court when Blake didn't like how Hewitt was behaving, yet he was wearing his clothes. That would be uncomfortable for Blake I think...and for Hewitt.

 

[Lee]

That's weird, out of all of the players on tour, why did Blake choose Hewitt's clothes? Isn't Blake very close with the American players, like Roddick, Fish, The Bryans and others? Isn't Hewitt the only player Blake had a problem with?

 

[Dan007]

That's weird, out of all of the players on tour, why did Blake choose Hewitt's clothes? Isn't Blake very close with the American players, like Roddick, Fish, The Bryans and others? Isn't Hewitt the only player Blake had a problem with?

All of his close american players like the guys you mentioned have different sponsor and maybe Hewitt brought same clothes as Blake was going to wear for nike.

 

[gugafanatic]

Hewitt apologised for any remarks that were construed to be racist. Blake is not the kind of player to hold grudges.

 

[Fee]

1) Had to be Nike clothes
2) Hewitt was at the same tournament (I think it was Hopman Cup. I should try to find the story on his 'officially unofficial' site).

 

[AJK1]

Yes it was this year. He only used the other gear for practice, his proper stuff turned up soon after.

 

[Dan007]

Yes it was this year. He only used the other gear for practice, his proper stuff turned up soon after.

Who did he borrow from this time?

 

[Fee]

Found it (at www.blakefanz.com)

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1702104

Blake arrives in Perth with no hair, luggage.
Jan. 8, 2004

I haven't been able to find any stories that this happened to him again this year on his way to Adelaide, just last year in Perth.

 

[legolas]

nice vapor 3

 

[legolas]

he borrowed from hewitt? lol, i thought they arent getting along cuz of that racial scene a while ago

 

[backhand_finish]

http://www.atptennis.com/en/blog/blake.asp

 

[MVP]

It'd be funny if Blake just handed the gear back without washing it saying something like, "Thanks bro. Won't be needing it anymore."

 

[Dan007]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/apphoto/photo?photoId=986896&sportId=850

Find a better pic of his racket. He seems to be using his old dunlop racker with plack pj and prince on the side of the throat. I wonder why he's not using the Prince stencil. If you are watching him play on T.V. no one will know what racket he is using and can't advertise.

 

[Shaolin]

Blake really shouldnt be playing dubs with people with mullets.

 

[thetenniskid07]

Doesn't seem like blake is using o3!

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/5...055E7512194474AD397C19404431D781CF461BB6606AD

 

[PM_]

It'd be funny if Blake just handed the gear back without washing it saying something like, "Thanks bro. Won't be needing it anymore."

LOL that would be funny. He probably just kept it.

 

[timmyboy]

what happened between lleyton and james?

 

[p3k]

us open


sydney

 

[p3k]

 

[BluDiamond]

james blake is going to be using a new prince racquet in a series coming out soon. It may have 03 technology

 

[Volly master]

i like how his name is written on the racket, haha then we all know who it belongs too.

 

[TheVicht]

Thats pretty cool racquet tho, all customize n stuff with his name, its the same string pattern on the "dunlop" and "prince" but the shapes of teh racquets look a lil different

 

[TheVicht]

i think the new series will be the blue O3 the diablo replacement

 

[PM_]

My opinion Blake won't use an 03 at all this year.
Prince will distribute a new thin-beam racquet and JB will use the pj of it.

Why change something that works?

 

[timmyboy]

james blake is going to be using a new prince racquet in a series coming out soon. It may have 03 technology

O3 hybrid series?

 

[chungthomas]

I think Prince does have this tendancy to give "experimental" racquet to players. I remember before the Diablo came out, there was this experiemental racquet thing going on on their website. Having Jennifer Capriati and another atp guy (I forgot his name) using it. It was all painted black, just like the one Blake was using in his pictures. I wouldn't be too suprise if Prince would repeat these kinds of marketing strategie again. Especially when things are shrouded in secretcy (or in black in this case), people gets really interested. If I remember correctly.

 

[badmice2]

Check out the prince website; they have a O3 Tour 95 with a 18x20 pattern. Maybe that's the racket he's going with? There's no reason why Prince will design a brand new racket for him. Added that from previous interviews, he said he believes in the new O3 technology...seems fitting that he would be leaning towards that.

I wonder how that racket plays.....

 

[LafayetteHitter]

03 Tour 18X20 would be an interesting racquet. Maybe Blake is using a POG with an 18X20? Things that make you go hmmm.....

Edit, I went to the website and the only thing I see listed for the 03 tour MID 95" is a 16X20 pattern....Are you sure you aren't looking at the beam specs 18-20-18?

 

[SteveI]

03 Tour 18X20 would be an interesting racquet. Maybe Blake is using a POG with an 18X20? Things that make you go hmmm.....

Edit, I went to the website and the only thing I see listed for the 03 tour MID 95" is a 16X20 pattern....Are you sure you aren't looking at the beam specs 18-20-18?

Hummm...

Just finished watching his match. Looks like a POG.. 18 x 20...head size 100 maybe? 27.5 inches? thin beam 19-20 mm?

I am guessing.. a custom job!

 

[Two Fister]

Hummm...

Just finished watching his match. Looks like a POG.. 18 x 20...head size 100 maybe? 27.5 inches? thin beam 19-20 mm?

I am guessing.. a custom job!

The pictures posted in this thread by p3k sure show a striking resemblance between his old dunlop and this new black masked frame. I'll bet he is still using his dunlop until he can dial in a new prince that he likes.

 

[Mr.Federer]

Grest pictures P3k ...

 

[Nuke]

Hummm...
Looks like a POG.. 18 x 20...head size 100 maybe? 27.5 inches? thin beam 19-20 mm?

The POG has a brace in the throat that I don't see in those pics.

 

[badmice2]

My bad...it is 16x20. I believe he's still using the dunlop 200 series with a paint job(which one specifically? no one's quite sure). My guess is that even though the spec for the mid tour saids 16x20, they'll custom one for Blake that's 18x20; they did it for Sharapova, there's no reason why they wouldnt for him. I also dont see him switching out of the 18x20 pattern, thinking that he actually might loose too much control on an open pattern. I guess we'll all have to wait and see when we see him holding a stick with the O ports.

 

[federer]

The pictures posted in this thread by p3k sure show a striking resemblance between his old dunlop and this new black masked frame. I'll bet he is still using his dunlop until he can dial in a new prince that he likes.

I think you are correct. He's using his old dunlop, painted black. That's why no Prince stencil.

James is going to develop a racquet with Prince:
Press Release

The partnership involves Blake’s collaboration with Prince’s research and development experts to develop a racquet featuring O Technology that Blake will use on tour. This new racquet will launch in 2006 as part of Prince's best selling line of O3 Racquets.