Apparently James Blake isn't familiar that it is possible to win a tennis match in three sets.
The No. 9 seed appeared on Arthur Ashe court this afternoon for his second-round match against the world's 62nd-ranked player, Steve Darcis. But apparently he left his tennis skills back in the locker room.
Blake sprayed unforced errors -- backhands, forehands, volleys, you name it -- all over the court in dropping the first set, 6-4.
He rebounded to win the second set 6-3, but what is it about Blake that it always seems he ends up playing epic matches at the U.S. Open? Remember that classic against Andre Agassi in 2005? He also lost a five-setter to top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt in the third round in 2003, and a five-setter to Tommy Haas in a fifth-set tiebreaker last year. And then there was the five-setter he squeaked out against the young American Donald Young on Monday.
Maybe it's because Blake is from New York (he and I share the hometown of Yonkers, NY), but my guess his popularity at this tournament has as much to do with his penchant for drama as his place of birth. Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer get the headlines, but I would argue there is no more popular player at the Open than Blake.
Time to get back to Ashe court to watch the rest of the match. If history is any indication, I might not be back any time soon.
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