James Blake Doesn't Deserve US Open Wild Card
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You're living in the past, man.
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I hate to sound like I’m on an anti-James Blake rant here, but how in the world did he get a wild card invitation to the US Open?
Actually, it takes just one second to realize why. Click on the US Open’s web site and read the headline “Fan-favorite Blake among US Open wild-card recipients.” 
In case you don’t have the large corporation universal translator in front of you, “fan favorite” is synonymous with “money making.” It’s a straight cash grab by the US Open, which is really ridiculous when you consider how much top flight talent will be on hand starting Aug. 30.
Not only will Rafael Nadal be seeking his third straight Grand Slam, but you’ll have Venus and Serena Williams back on the court for the first time in forever. Blake has no business being in the US Open.
He hasn’t won a big match in forever and he’s just taking up space that could be used to showcase an up and coming player. The background of Blake’s fellow wild card receivers makes it all the more obvious that he’s there to put some butts in the seats of an early-round match.
The other Americans to garner wild cards are 20-year-old Bradley Klahn, who won the NCAA Division I singles title this year while a sophomore at Stanford; 17-year-old Jack Sock of Nebraska, the UTSA Boys 18s National Championship last week; 23-year-old Ryan Sweeting , who is ranked No. 111 and has won three singles titles on the USTA Pro Circuit and 21-year-old Donald Young, who is ranked No. 101 and is a two-time junior Grand Slam tournament champion. 
Among those guys, Blake is a 30-year-old dinosaur. Giving him a wild card is like inviting Dominique Wilkins to compete in next year’s NBA All-Star Slam Dunk competition. Sure, he was an amazing dunker in his day, but when you put a broken-down body around all the up-and-comers, you just hope he doesn’t tear an ACL while warming up.
Blake is 10-13 following his loss on Monday in the first round at Cincinnati. By the time the Open actually starts, he’ll have probably dropped even farther.
Since making the third round at Indian Wells in mid-March, Blake is 3-7, with his wins coming against players ranked 331st, 61st and 67th. Among his losses are #151 Robin Haase at Wimbledon, #94 Taylor Dent at Atlanta and the aforementioned Sweeting at Washington D.C.
He’s largely a fan favorite at the US Open because he grew up in Yonkers, about 18 miles from the stadium. For his 10 titles and 14 other finals, not a single one of them has been in a Grand Slam, much less the Open itself.
Every single person in professional tennis always talks about growing the game, getting younger players involved. Giving out a free wild card to an unworthy veteran based on where he was born is a good way to stunt that growth.
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Posted by
Nick on
8/18/2010 1:31:25 PM
Filed under:
blake,
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robin,
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