James Blake recalls getting "absolutely thrashed" by Roger Federer at 2006 season-ending championships in Shanghai
Roger Federer has been out of action since his shocking defeat at Wimbledon last year, but his fans are still very active on social media. One of them has been posting a photo of the Swiss legend everyday, as a tribute to his marvelous tennis career so far.
Day 109 of "One Photo of Roger Per Day" was a throwback to the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. Federer defeated James Blake 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 in that match to win his third season-ending championships trophy.
🏻♂️
One photo of Roger per day. Day 109
📸🇨🇭🙎🏻♂️🏆💥👊🎾✨😊👋
@rogerfederer @JRBlake https://t.co/NXwm2Rk99i
Blake himself reacted to the throwback post, by posting a comment under it. The American labeled himself "young and foolish" for ever assuming that he could emerge victorious in a contest with Federer at his peak.
"I was still smiling because it was right before he [Federer] absolutely thrashed me in the Shanghai finals," Blake wrote. "Silly me thought I might have a chance just because I was playing really well that week. So young and foolish."
I was still smiling because it was right before he absolutely thrashed me in the Shanghai finals. Silly me thought I might have a chance just because I was playing really well that week. So young and foolish. twitter.com/be21ever/statu…
"I implore any of you to go out there and face Roger Federer on the court" - James Blake back in 2006
2006 was a year full of highs for James Blake, and it ended with him making his debut at the Tennis Masters Cup. The American reached the final of the tournament after victories over Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko and David Nalbandian during the week.
Prior to the tournament Blake had won a career-high five titles in the year, and also outplayed Andy Roddick on all three occasions they met.
James Blake's season ended with a beat-down at the hands of Roger Federer, but that didn't take anything away from his achievements. After the Shanghai final, the American took exception to a local reporter who claimed he had "collapsed" in the face of Federer's brilliance.
"If you think that's collapsing, I implore any of you to go out there and face Roger Federer on the court," Blake had said. "I'll write your column, you face him, we'll see who does better. I don't feel like I collapsed at all. I wish I could have done better, but that was my best for today."
Federer secured a third successive year-end No.1 finish that year, having won a career-high 12 titles in the season. On the day of the final, Blake learnt the hard way that while defeating Federer is hard, doing so when he is at his peak was impossible.
"Obviously, we're all chasing Roger," Blake had said. "It's no secret. He's playing head and shoulders above the rest of us. It's going to be tough for anyone to dethrone him."