Bitter Blake recalls what might have been in Beijing (AFP)
44 minutes ago
NEW YORK (AFP) - For a player looking ahead into the tennis future, James Blake seems to be finding it tough to let go of the past.
Especially when he feels it might have cost him an Olympic medal in Beijing.
"It's not my problem anymore," the American said of his controversial 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 Olympic semi-final loss to Fernando Gonzalez a day after upsetting Roger Federer at the Summer Games.
"What's done is done, I've moved past it."
The American is noted as best-behaved on court, but at the time he did not spare his temper in defeat.
Blake accused Gonzalez of not admitting that a return from the American touched his racket before landing out on a late point in a three-hour drama which went to the South American after a ruling from referee Carlos Berardo.
Blake still blisters at what might have been.
"Whatever gets him to sleep at night is fine," he said of Chile's Gonzalez, "If he says after three hours he can't feel a ball hitting his racquet, then apparently every fifth set he's ever played he can't feel the ball.
"Whatever he wants to say or needs to say, that's up to him. It's the past. If you let someone else get to you in the past you're not dealing with the present."
Blake put a bright face on the remainder of his Beijing experience as the ranking American man in the field after the absence of Andy Roddick.
"You're in a stadium full of 20,000 people - I'm not going to let one point change my Olympic experience.
"I was proud to be a part of Team USA, part of the effort put forth by all the Olympians, proud of all the hard work and sacrifice they made to get there and compete at the highest level and do it fairly, cleanly, and with everything to be proud of."
Blake pronounced himself "really happy about my Olympic experience."
"I wouldn't change it for anything. I wish I had gotten the medal to bring home to the States, but I can hold my head high saying I did everything I could."
Blake got in a final dig at Gonzalez, who owns him 6-3 overall with wins in their last six meetings.
"I competed with the utmost respect for my competitors and with the utmost respect for my country.
"No matter what I say or do isn't going to change the fact the point is over, the match is over - Now and I'm now worried about the US Open.
"Hopefully the umpires are watching a little more closely here."