Blake stunned by Japanese teen in ITC final

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Sunday was supposed to be a coronation for James Blake, the runner up at last year’s Delray Beach ITC who was in the final against an unknown 18-year-old from Japan who made the main draw as a qualifier.

Instead, Blake was shocked by Kei Nishikori, who rallied from a first set deficit to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

“I still can’t believe I won this tournament and I can’t believe I beat James Blake,” Nishikori said.

He did it with an aggressive game that saw him rip winners to either side of the court, while a dazed and confounded Blake could only watch helplessly.

“He played really well, didn’t show any kind of nerves,” Blake said.

That was in contrast to Blake, who seemed to tighten as the match went on, making unforced errors and even double faulting three times. Blake, who lost in last year’s final to Xavier Malisse, had rolled into the final without dropping a single set.

He trailed Robby Ginepri 4-2 in both sets in Saturday’s semifinal, but blew past his fellow American for a 6-4, 6-4 win.

Nishikori, on the other hand, had rallied twice from first-set deficits in the tournament, defeating Amer Delic 6-7 (7) 6-4, 6-2 in the quarters, and staving off four match points in a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over Sam Querrey in the semifinal.

Still, Nishikori was facing Blake, and for the first time all tournament, he wasn’t confident.

“(Saturday) night I tried to imagine winning the final,” he said. “But I couldn’t do it, and I was so nervous in the first set.”

But in the second set, Nishikori started with an ace, held serve, then broke Blake in the second game. It was 5-0 before Blake won a game.

It was in that set that Nishikori said he started to believe he could beat Blake.

Blake started the third set with a win, then watched Nishikori rally from a 15-40 deficit to force deuce. After Blake hit a forehand into the net, Nishikori painted the line with a forehand winner to even the match.

He broke Blake and took control of the match in the next game, when Blake double faulted and hit the ball into the net to make it deuce.

Nishikori then showed more of his repertoire with a slice winner, followed by a backhand return winner to make it 2-1.

“He’s very explosive,” Nishikori’s coach Glenn Weiner said. “He can just put an extra bit of zip on that ball. He’s got unbelievable speed, which keeps him in a point longer. And for an 18-year-old, the poise he showed, that impressed me the most.”

Nishikori and Weiner have only been working together since December, when they were paired together at the Nick Bolletieri Academy. Nishikori has been a pupil there since he was 14.

Afterwards, Nishikori called his parents in Japan to tell them the news. His father said, “It’s good that you win, but you have an other tournament next week.”

It was the first ATP Tour win for a Japanese player in 16 years, and it may be the beginning of a promising career for Nishikori.

“He can definitely have a bright future, he’s 18 years old and already has a tour title,” Blake said. “Not many people can do that.”

In the doubles final, Max Mirnyi and Jamie Murray defeated Bob and Mike Bryan, 6-4, 3-6, 10-6.

It was the first time Mirnyi and Murray had played together, and they managed to knock off the No. 1 doubles team in the world.

“It was a great surprise for us,” Mirnyi said.