US Open 2013: Day 3 - Blake bids final farewell

James Blake in the spotlight for one final time

US Open 2013: Day 3 - Blake bids final farewell

On a rain interrupted third day of the 2013 US Open Championships play was severely disrupted but there were still some terrific contests all around the grounds.  Being a disjointed day I did not see any full matches but saw some large chunks of several different matches.  Thankfully I did see a lot of James Blake's final singles match.

The former World No.4 fittingly played one final thriller under the Flushing Meadows lights and fittingly played one last fifth set breaker but came up on the wrong side of a 6-7(2-7) 3-6 6-4 7-6(7-2) 7-6(7-2) defeat against fellow veteran Ivo Karlovic.

The Giant Croat still has that tremendous serve and got round his backhand to hit just enough crucial forehands at key times on the Louis Armstrong stadium.

Blake may not have reached the very top of the game but he leaves behind a strong career which saw him reach the top 5, three major quarter finals and the final of the Masters Cup (now ATP World Tour Finals) overcoming some serious obstacles to do so.  I strongly recommend his excellent book 'Breaking Back'.

 

My own main memories of Blake are watching him win too late night hard fought matches on the Arthur Ashe stadium during my trip to Flushing Meadows in 2007.  The crowd was electric and the J-Block were in full force as he battled past Fabrice Santoro in five and Stefan Koubek in four finishing after 1am (see pic).

However surely the most memorable match of his career came at the 2005 US Open where, after beating Nadal in round three, he played the most incredible quarter final against 35 year-old Andre Agassi with the legendary two-time champion hitting back to win a truly sensational contest 3-6 3-6 6-3 6-3 7-6(8-6).  That match and Blake's blistering forehand will live long in the memory.

Men's singles round-up

Defending champion and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray eventually made his 2013 US Open debut in the night session and was too strong for Michael Llodra although the British No.1 had to come from a break down in the second set.

2009 winner Juan Martin Del Potro was pushed very hard by Guillermo Garcia-Lopez but made it through in four and next faces Lleyton Hewitt after the champion of 2001 beat Brian Baker in four.

World No.10 Stanislas Wawrinka scored a career first victory over Radek Stepanek but there was no joy for last week's Winston-Salem champion Jurgen Melzer as the Austrian 29th seed went down in straight sets to Evgeny Donskoy.  16th seed Fabio Fognini was savaged 6-1 6-2 6-2 by Rajeev Ram.

Women's singles round up

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska cruised to an easy first set bagel but then was then hard pushed by Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor but came through 6-0 7-5. 

No.5 seed Li Na enjoyed a straightforward victory over Sofia Arvidsson and next faces a repeat of 2012 in the form of another third round clash with Laura Robson.

The British No.1 and 30th seed edged out fellow teen Caroline Garcia 6-4 7-6(7-5) in a match largely dominated by serve.

Defending champion Serena Williams saw her second round match pushed back to day four because of the rain but her sister Venus, 2000 and 2001 champ, did take the court but ended up being edged out 6-3 2-6 7-6(7-5) by Jie Zheng.

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