29 shot rally - James Blake vs. Rafa Nadal

[youziness]

i am comparing between blake and fed against nadal. Blake even knock nadal out of us open in 2006. Nadal is no different from those days and a worse backhand today. The courts are slow today and he face defenders so he has better hardcourt chance. Back then there are specialists on a faster hard court who attack, one person who was hitting lights out always knocked nadal out then.

[hordak83]

@youziness your point is valid, Blake's BH is much stronger than Roger's, and he can hit it so flat and early, disallowing Nadal to handle it properly (on time), that's why he had so much success against Nadal, and began to lose against him (on hc) only when he was't so young and was injured (since 2008). Blake was always bigger threat to Nadal on hc than Roger.

[surfjabroni]

@hordak83 Blake has a simple BH action and tries to take the ball at the same height every time. This is what neutralised Nadal back then. Of course Nadal is better now and Blake never recovered from injuries :(

[hordak83]

@surfjabroni I agree, but it's amazing how he's able to control Nadal's heavy topsin with his single-handed BH, better than Roger (and on rise) back then..

[youziness]

he has a better backhand than federer, at least against nadal. Federer cant hit a one hander flat.

[MrCantheal]

@youziness yea, right. comparing blakes backhand in his best days playing against nadal when he couldnt win a tournament on hardcourts.... go and watch lopez vs federer us open 07 match, then compare backhands.

[hordak83]

@MrCantheal Nadal won 2 1000 Masters on hard court in 2005, played in Miami final against Roger, and lost just in fifth set (after two sets to love lead!), beat Federer in Dubai final in 2006, so I wouldn't say he "couldn't win a tournament on HC". Blake was just worse match-up to Nadal on HC than Roger was.

[hattrickster33]

@youziness Yes he can, but that's not what he typically does against Rafa.

[ckarea55]

blake has great stroke, but slow first reaction

[TheSebas2986]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

[joshuadaando]

so glad blake won that point

[Greenshow81]

I enjoyed watching Blake that year, got to #4 in the world and was winning titles. 

[150buckfifty150]

i miss this blake

[mragsba]

wow that backhand wow

[Sundin456]

You would never expect a rally this long with Blake's power....................

[PantheonPandemonium]

sexy bh

[YanksBostonMets]

Great Stuff Blake. Still my hero

[sunfunmancanfan]

Unfortunately, Blake was/is his worst enemy. He had the game to win at least one major, but his patience/confidence/consistanc­y-especially in major tournaments- defeated his game. He's good to watch though.

[proffesor98]

that's good tennis

[kimbotslice]

now THAT is tennis

[Mralexiasi]

blake has a big forehand and a very good backand...he could be a no 1 but is not a constant player

[MetalMachineManiac]

@Mralexiasi not anymore, he's 32. 60 something in the world. He should have won a slam in 2006-07..his prime.

[BrianSou69]

@unowen727 Football is a contact sport and tennis is not. Simple as that.

[edmonjel]

that's pretty incredible for blake considering how hard he hits it

[DelRio699]

Blake was good back then but now not so much

[mz0196]

blake won the point ?!....... beautiful point

[TMack771]

Tennis is a woman's sport.

[chrisrrox1]

@TMack771 yeah and football's a manly sport with shoulder pads and egg shaped balls and tackling and more tackling and tossing and throwing and god football is boring.

[taylor9521]

@TMack771 Hahah why because it involves skill, intelligence, stamina, and strength rather than just raw strength? Football players, hockey players, and wrestlers just about all dumb as shit from all the concussions they get.

[TheDonOrange]

who won this, Blake?

[jblake42]

james blake ruleeeeesssss

[dOcToRcHaRiZaRd]

He should play like that more often!

[dottorcozza88]

The first slice at shot n.23... this is a videogame... Anyway, great Blake; you need a lot of courage to shot (or simply to think shooting) a cross-backhand winner against Rafa.

[181erob]

@dottorcozza88 I really hope you're joking... Do you honestly think this is a video game?

[dottorcozza88]

@181erob No, man :P I meant to say it seems a videogame: only powerful shots from every position...

[181erob]

@dottorcozza88 Oh, I got you.

[khaledias]

We Spaniards are loud too. Anyway, Nadal did well improving his game to suit hard courts. Easy to say, but if he best the best in history, is with his adaptability. I think Nadal is the only player to win G.S. in the three surfaces over one season.

[daraemkar]

@khaledias Yeah...he isn't.

[sirch6669]

I want to see this Blake one more time

[89Pleasek]

Blake in 2006 could really play well, too bad his best tennis didn't last long

[BurningArrowPictures]

is that Vince Carter?

[FlameJohn]

@BurningArrowPictures Oh wow, after you mention that, they actually do look alike.

[champion1642]

WOW, Blake really was something, especially his backhand!

[benjimillard]

like, if u counted the shots ?

[tokinblckgie]

Now that's a point right there.

[mic10508]

awesome~



[89Pleasek]

freaking half volley backhand winner

insane

[purgatory13z]

this is when blake tried to take every ball on the rise and hit it as hard as he could. Oh wait he still does that. And the people in shanghai really get loud in the points, totally forgot about that

[iGo0ch]

@purgatory13z asians are soo loud all the time. Trust me I know, i'm chinese and for some reason they don't know that in some places you can't scream 24/7 -__-

[templetonbob]

Blake is such a power house, power being the key word here

[srdjanw3gamer]

james was great player always fun to watch because he always attacks

[johnjohns65]

this mustve been quite a long time ago cause there is no way blake could get a set off of rafa now

[hattrickster33]

Awesome backhand.

[aggbala]

look ath there shots. always close to the lines. i mean when i watch soderling he sometimes, or often just bashing into the middle. this is far more awesome

[SoooBlue]

@aggbala Aha, 'cause Nadal always goes for the lines, right?

[aggbala]

@SoooBlue hehe well lets say nadal dont play as much in the middle of the court :)

[SoooBlue]

@aggbala Are you joking? Nadal hits with PLENTY margin for error. Soderling is an attacking player who likes to go for the lines.

[Ledwix]

Those fans are annoying.

[jippaazhor]

Comeon  James.

[anS0N1997]

i saw him in every single tennis video game and i never seen him play.

i have now.

[SolsburyHill22]

Blake at his best is awesome to watch....nice guy, great player.

[Dschland92]

Blake in this shape I want to see you again!!!

Amazing!!! Greetings from Germany

[historian111z]

i do this all the time...

[yamum0433]

his shots r so dam powerful...

[demondayzzz]

back when blake used to beat nadal a couple times. it's a pity he was always go for broke, so when his fitness dropped, he's not really even half the player he was.

he would have done better in the previous era though he didn't do too badly, he had some epic moments, like vs agassi, nadal in the us, fed in the olympics etc. either really fun to watch or really frustrating

[VerdascoFan]

@dud321xyz sad but true

[VerdascoFan]

@dud321xyz thanks man. :D

[BanguDdongKko]

blake is a legend, but no one can deny that his time is up in top level tennis...

[VerdascoFan]

@BanguDdongKko...........How is he a legend (question marl-my question mark is`t working) He never made it past the quarters of a slam and he didn`t even win an olympic medal in 08.... He was great that`s for sure and was capable of fantastic tennis but he was NOT a legend. He played some greta matches but he won`t get in The Tennis Hall of Fame. He was also a great humanitarian and made a great (possibly even `legendary`) comeback. But in terms of his tennis ability he wasn`t a legend.

[RobbieCopple]

dang he was ripping that forehand

[leonardodp34]

In 2007 or 08 Nadal learned how to play against Blake. From that on the spaniard collected only victories.

[hordak83]

@leonardodp34 They didn't play in 2007. Blake was 29 in 2008, a little bit slower and had a lot of injuries, and even then Nadal wasn't able to straight-seted him in any of their 4 matches from 2008 to present. Blake was just a bad match-up for Nadal, he hits very strong, flat, early, robbing Nadal of time, and was on of the guys who actually could overpower Nadal (the others are Del Potro, Tsonga, Soderling), rather than beat him with appropriate strategy (Davydenko, Nadal).

[cro91Maderfaker]

blake's best season

[Kaizer147]

man this usually only happen in video games!

both of them were so precise with their shots, and very smooth movements!

[TheVokality]

blake was so amazing back then. Im hoping he wins this us open

[SnokkyTheBest]

finally, a tennis video where I can see the ball

[Hamiltoncheater]

James is so cool tennis player..I miss him in top 10

[beuleful]

I'm exhausted just watching this .. great stuff

[bamibalboy]

@beuleful yea it was that boring

[AnimeIntroStyles4]

This is when Blake could really move.

[dayne120]

@AnimeIntroStyles4 dude its like last year

[VerdascoFan]

@dayne120 .............You are stupid, sir. This is in fact 4 yrs old. A lot can happen in 4 yrs....why don't you check out how blake's been doing this year and how Nadal's been doing. A lot can happen in 1 year. In 4 a legned can be made.

[dayne120]

@VerdascoFan Nadal's a puddling fag. Legend*

[VerdascoFan]

@dayne120 sorry that i don't care enough to check my spelling on youtube talking to someone with the IQ of the average run-over carcass of a brain-dead cat.

[ryucheng4567]

blake's backhand is so strong.........

[ryucheng4567]

blake's backhand is so strong.........

[FutureATPMAN213]

Great vid