James Blake downs Tatsuma Ito in a decisive two set victory – Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011
American James Blake easily overpowered his Japanese opponent Tatsuma Ito in under an hour in their opening round match at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, to mark a flamboyant entry into the tournament. The score board closed at
6-3, 6-3 marking an effective win for the American who is now safely booked in a berth at the round of 32 in Washington D.C. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic has an enviable reputation as prestigious Olympus US Open Series event, in the run up to the Grand Slam
US Open itself.
The former World No. 4 is dead set on the comeback road and has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last two or three weeks. He advanced to his current No. 90 spot from a lowly No. 173 on March 21st and his win-loss
mark stands levelled at 9-9. Plagued by knee problems, the player appeared at a press briefing prior to the match with a knee brace but brushed it aside. “It’s just preventative – making sure it’s safe that way,” Blake said. “I’ve been moving well the last
three or four weeks. I felt great.” Blake won the first of his ten career titles here at Washington in 2002 and was runner-up in 2005.
Legg Mason debutant, the Japanese Ito currently stands at a career high No. 102 mark following his performance at Atlanta in July. He’s been pretty active on the challenger circuit, raking in many wins and came into the tournament
at Washington with a win-loss ranking of 2-2.
Blake made efficient use of his powerful serve, raking in three superbly placed aces in the first set alone. Serving at 61%, Blake won 84% of his first serve points and broke Ito’s serve in the fourth game to steer ahead with an
unassailable lead. The first set closed at 6-3 with a resounding win for the veteran American. The second set followed precedent and closed at 6-3 again in Blake’s account. On his way to victory Blake registered three more devastating breakpoints, including
one in the second set’s very last game.
Overall Blake totalled 67 points in the match against his opponent’s 44.
Blake, who is now through to the second round, is set up to clash against the defending champion David Nalbandian on Tuesday.
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