"One of the best days of my career to get one win against him; to do it with USA on my chest was even more special" - James Blake on defeating Roger Federer
James Blake is best known for his heroics for the USA at the Davis Cup and the Olympic Games.
Blake caused a shock upset when he got the better of Roger Federer of Switzerland - who was one of the favorites along with Rafael Nadal - in the quarterfinals of the tennis event in Beijing 2008.
A memorable straight-sets victory for the American - his only win out of eleven encounters in total against Federer was the subject of a tweet by Blake.
🤝
So much respect for Roger. One of the best days of my career to get one win (out of 10 tries) against him. And to do it with USA on my chest was even more special. twitter.com/be21ever/statu…
Prior to the clash in Beijing, Blake had managed to win just a single set in eight matches against Federer.
The quarterfinals in Beijing proved to be remarkably different, with Blake pulling off an unlikely 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) win against the Swiss legend.
Replying to a tweet that hailed both the match in Beijing and the era that both players were part of, Blake foresaw Roger Federer making a comeback.
I think one of us will be back. The other one is old, bald and has no backhand or serve anymore. @rogerfederer twitter.com/alissa1saba/st…
Suggesting that he himself was past his prime, the American opined that the man he had beaten in Beijing would be back on the courts.
Federer, who lost the singles semifinals at the 2000 Sydney Games, was aiming to win his first Olympic medal in Beijing.
Despite the disappointment of losing to a man he had beaten eight times in the past, the Swiss player lauded his opponent after the match, hoping that Blake would go all the way.
"I've played him on many occasions, but I think this was the best I've seen him," "I'm happy for him. He's a good guy. I hope he can go all the way now."
Incidentally, Blake went on to lose in the semifinal to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. The American subsequently lost the bronze-medal match to Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
James Blake was part of the Davis Cup winning USA team of 2007
James Blake began his career as a member of the US Davis Cup team that took on India in 2001. He was a key member of the side that won the finals of the event against Russia six years later.
The New Yorker won both his singles matches, getting the better of Mikhail Youzhny in a four-setter before accounting for Dmitry Tursunov in straight sets in the reverse singles.
The USA won the Davis Cup title in 2007 defeating Russia 4-1.
James Blake, who was also a title-holder at the Hopman Cup in 2003 and 2004, was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and the US Open, winning 10 career titles in total.