First Serve: July 26 - August 1

Published Aug 02, 2010

TENNIS.com's Monday morning quarterback recaps last week's pro tennis action—and offers his reaction.

Last Week's Tournaments

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Gstaad, Switzerland(ATP, Clay)	Final: Nicolas Almagro def. Richard GasquetSemifinal 1: Richard Gasquet def. Yuri SchukinSemifinal 2: Nicolas Almagro def. Daniel Gimeno-TraverBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Los Angeles, United States(ATP, Hard)	Final: Sam Querrey def. Andy MurraySemifinal 1: Andy Murray def. Feliciano LopezSemifinal 2: Sam Querrey def. Janko TipsarevicBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Umag, Croatia(ATP, Clay)	Final: Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Potito StaraceSemifinal 1: Potito Starace def. Juan Ignacio ChelaSemifinal 2: Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Andreas SeppiBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Istanbul, Turkey(WTA, Hard)	Final: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Elena VesninaSemifinal 1: Elena Vesnina def. Andrea PetkovicSemifinal 2: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Jarmila GrothBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Stanford, United States(WTA, Hard)	Final: Victoria Azarenka def. Maria SharapovaSemifinal 1: Victoria Azarenka def. Samantha StosurSemifinal 2: Maria Sharapova def. Agnieszka RadwanskaBrackets: Singles \| Doubles



Blake is just 10-11 this season, and hasn't reached a semifinal. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

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Five Years Later
Remember the last time James Blake was ranked outside the Top 100? It was the summer of 2005, not long after he contracted shingles and was sidelined for months. Blake reemerged during that year’s U.S. Open Series, reaching the final of Washington, winning New Haven, and taking Andre Agassi to a fifth set in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Today, Blake is ranked No. 105, and he won his first matches since March to reach the quarterfinals in Los Angeles last week. But despite the encouraging performance, a similar surge seems unlikely. He’s lost some speed—one of his hallmark traits—in the last five years, and his shot-making has also suffered. The issue seems to be timing. You can have a long, complex swing (think Novak Djokovic) or a short, abbreviated one, like Blake, but either way, establishing correct contact is paramount. It’s even more important when you take the ball early, as Blake does. Against Feliciano Lopez, a player Blake should defeat in most rallies, the backhand and forehand let the American down at some crucial moments. He still hits the blink-and-it’s-past-you shots, but with less consistency. We haven’t heard from the J-Block in a while—James looks like he could use the boost, gang.

Starry, Starry Night
After two months of daytime tennis at Roland Garros and all of the grass tournaments, it’s a treat to see the players battle in the evening. I like the showcase feel of tennis at night: It’s often the only match going, and the contestants seem to feed off of the spotlight. Take the Andy Murray-Lopez semifinal in L.A. It was a dud to start, but, in its prime-time timeslot, enthralling by the end. Another good thing about night matches is that the sticky summer heat takes a backseat to more comfortable evening climes, which both players and fans can appreciate.


Washington, United States (ATP, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
Copenhagen, Denmark (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
San Diego, United States (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles

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Ed McGrogan is an assistant editor for TENNIS.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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