Blake bludgeons way into Indianapolis semis

07/20/2008

INDIANAPOLIS — James Blake tightened up his game in dramatic fashion Friday, hammering of Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun 6-2, 6-0 in 45 minutes for a semifinal spot at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

After struggling a day earlier to put away 293rd-ranked Korean qualifier Jun Woong-Sun, the 2006 champion and world number eight Blake was desperate to lift his level.

The top seed did so in impressive style in the shortest match of the tournament to line up a clash with defending champion Dmitry Tursunov.

The Russian completed the first-ever move of all top four seeds into the semis of this event with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Chilean Paul Capdeville.

“I felt great, this was my best match of the tournament,” said Blake, winner of 10 of his last 11 Indianapolis matches. “It’s exciting to get back on hardcourt.

“This is the part of the season where I play my best. I was playing too much to the score yesterday and not the opponent.

“Today I didn’t want to look up when I led 6-2, 3-0, I just wanted to concentrate on playing well, I wanted to play my best.”

Blake notched seven aces, never faced a break point and broke his Asian opponent five times as he improve to 34-15 on the season.

Frenchman Gilles Simon preyed on the frustrations of Tommy Haas in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of the German.

Simon, who won his third career ATP title in Casablanca last May, next faces the huge serve of American fourth seed Sam Querrey, who hammered 17 aces as he beat compatriot Bobby Reynolds 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. AFP

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