Blake's the Best

Comfortably perched as the No. 1 singles player in the country, few college players can rise to the level of sophomore James Blake and offer him a challenge.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament last Saturday, Blake met one of those few acknowledged rivals, Notre Dame junior Ryan Sachire, the No. 3 player in the nation.

Sachire took Blake to three sets on the courts at Indiana State, but the nation's best player confirmed his status once again in an epic battle.

Blake won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and his team rolled over the Fighting Irish, 4-2. He helped his squad pick up the doubles point as well, pairing with co-captain Kunj Majmudar to knock off Brian Patterson and Sachire 8-5.

"[Blake] handled him pretty well," sophomore Andrew Styperek said. "There were 200 people in the crowd for Notre Dame and he had to work against it."

The Crimson's victory catapulted it into the second round against No. 15 Baylor.

Harvard, however, found no rest on Sunday against the Bears, who eliminated them from the tournament, 4-1.

While his team didn't shine, Blake dazzled.

With the Crimson trailing 1-0, he evened the match by dominating Baylor star Johann Jooste, merely ranked 16th in the nation.

Blake cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 win, suffering just one service break.

"James always had the upper hand in the match," Styperek said. "The score was closer than the actual match."

Jooste extracted a small measure of revenge on the doubles court, winning 8-3 with teammate David Hodge.

Still, one small defeat there does not diminish a magnificent weekend for Blake in the midst of a more brilliant season.

His two singles victories bumped his season total up to 36 against just three losses. For his career, Blake now stands at 74-8.

"[Blake] was our sure win," Styperek said. "He was a big help and took a lot of pressure off the rest of the rest of us."

Harvard's season may have ended Sunday, but Blake is now getting ready to prove his mettle once again at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, which begin on May 26.

He will head down to Athens, Ga., along with Majmudar to compete in both halves of the competition. Judging by his performance this past weekend, Blake has to be favored to walk away from that tournament as he did this weekend--the best player in college tennis.

For excellence on the court under the spotlight of heavy competition, The Crimson is proud to name James Blake Athlete of the Week.