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Sixth ranked player James Blake would like 2007 to be his breakthrough year at the Tennis US Open. The 28-year-old American has already participated in seven US Opens. He has reached the quarterfinals each of the last two years.

In 2006, Blake lost to Roger Federer in four sets. Federer was the returning champ. Blake was born December 28, 1979 in Yonkers, New York. He began playing tennis at age 5. He was inspired to pursue the sport after hearing a speech given by his role model Arthur Ashe. Throughout his childhood, he practiced with brother Thomas, who also is currently a pro.

At 13, Blake was constrained to a back brace after being diagnosed with severe scoliosis. He eventually overcame the sickness and continued tennis.
During his sophomore year at Harvard, he decided to forfeit his education to pursue the sport full-time. Winning the Rookie of the Year award for World Team Tennis in 2000 was just the beginning.

Blake´s first taste of national exposure came at the 2001 US Open. He lost to eventual champion LLeyton Hewitt in a competitive five set match. In 2002, he defeated Tommy Haas, his first victory over a top ten opponent. The same year, he beat Andre Agassi in the semifinals, en route to his first ATP-tour tournament win in Washington. Blake endured hardships in 2004 - first the passing of his father and then a condition that paralyzed his face and impaired his sight. His future in tennis was bleak, but Blake would recover physically, as well as rebound in ATP standings. He jumped from 210 to 49 in 2005. As a wildcard in the 2005 US Open, he beat no. 2 Rafael Nadal in the round of 32. He advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Andre Agassi in a historic fifth set tiebreak after claiming a 2-0 lead.

After a loss in the 2006 Australian Open, he landed into the top 20 for the first time. He reached the finals at the Tennis Masters Series before losing to Roger Federer, but broke the top 10. Blake became the first African American to accomplish that feat since Arthur Ashe.

Throughout his career, he has won 229 career matches and lost 145. In 2007, his record is 38-18. He has also earned $4,876,760 throughout his career and $647,435 so far in 2007. He has been coached by Brian Barker since going pro. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida.