By Chris Oddo

(July 24, 2012)—James Blake was three points from his second win of the season against Tobias Kamke at the Farmers Classic tonight.

This, all after he had blown a 4-1 lead in the third set.

So close, but yet so far.

The 26-year-old German won the final four points of the third-set tiebreaker to advance to the second round with a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory.

In a wild match that featured 23 break point opportunities, Kamke was able to do most of his damage against Blake’s second serve, taking 31 of 48 points when Blake missed his first offering.

It was also Kamke who found his game when he needed it most. After surrendering the first mini-break of the third-set tiebreaker, the World No. 108 didn’t lose another point.

''I didn't make a lot of first serves in that tiebreaker and didn't give myself the chances I needed to," said Blake "I can't do that and expect to win out here.''

Kamke’s fourth win of 2012 sets up a second-round clash with Marinko Matosevic. The sixth-seeded Aussie downed his compatriot Chris Guccione 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, converting on four of five break points against the World No. 510 in the process.

In afternoon play at the Farmers Classic, fifth-seeded Xavier Malisse snapped a four-match losing streak with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over American qualifier Nicolas Meister, while Italian Paulo Lorenzi downed American Qualifier Bradley Klahn, 6-4, 3-6, 60.

But the news wasn’t all bad for the Americans. It was just half bad. 34-year-old Michael Russell advanced in straight sets over fellow American Jesse Levine, 6-3, 6-4.

Russell, the oldest player left in the draw, will face top-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire in the second round.

Igor Andreev defeated Dudi Sela 7-6(4), 6-4 and Matthew Ebden defeated Michael Berrer 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) in other action.

Gulbis Saves a Match Point to Avoid Upset in Kitzbuhel

Seventh-seeded Ernests Gulbis improved his 2012 record to 11-14 when he escaped a match-point-down scenario to get by Austrian wildcard Andreas Haider-Maurer 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Gulbis faced the match point while serving to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second set; once he saved the match point he went on to win eight of the last nine games to advance.

Gulbis, who declined the opportunity to defend his 2011 Farmers Classic title in Los Angeles, will face Rogerio Dutra-Silva of Brazil in the second round.

(Photo Credit: Tony Chang)