Davis Cup CC, Day 1, Match 2

I am auto-posting this before I head out for my son's birthday party at PS 87, so I don't know how the first match of the Davis Cup final turned out (I'll be watching both matches with one eye through a family gathering this evening). Whatever the case, my gut feeling is that James Blake is going to step up and make a statement in Portland.

Oh, I think Mikhail Youzhny is a formidable opponent, and as I mentioned in the previous post, the pressure in this tie is all on the US squad. But consider that despite Blake's emotional and psychological vacillations, his record on hard courts in Davis Cup play is a superb 8-0. I think that for all the carping about Blake's inconsistency, or the trouble he has winning big matches, he does pretty danged well when he is in a comfort zone, surface and venue-wise.

I like the way Blake has played in New Haven (practically his backyard) and at the US Open; being at home (and Portland for these purposes is home) brings out the best in him. We'll see how he bears up soon enough - you can call and/or discuss the match here.