James Blake To Play Newport In July

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 31st May 2013

Sony Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Florida

James Blake To Play Newport In July

epa03639747 James Blake of the US returns the ball to Albert Ramos of Spain during their third round match at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 24 March 2013. The tournament runs through 31 March. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

James Blake, a former world top-5 player on the ATP World Tour, has joined the player field for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, to be held July 8 – 14 in Newport, Rhode Island.

The tournament, which is hosted directly after Wimbledon, is the first stop of the summer swing for professional tennis in the United States and the only ATP World Tour tournament hosted in the Northeast.

“It will be great to have James back in Newport this summer. He always delivers exciting tennis and we know his New England fans will appreciate the opportunity to see him back in action in this area,” said Tournament Director Mark L. Stenning. “Putting James in the mix with players like John Isner, Sam Querrey, Lleyton Hewitt, and Ryan Harrison sets us up for a great week to kick off the pro tennis summer season in the United States.”

Blake has had success at the grass court tournament previously, reaching the finals in 2002 and the semifinals in 2001. With his brother, Thomas, he reached the doubles semifinals in 2002, falling to eventual champions Bob and Mike Bryan. This will be Blake’s first appearance in Newport since 2005.

In a successful and lengthy career that has spanned more than a decade, Blake has won 10 singles titles and 7 doubles titles. He reached a career high ranking of world No. 4 in 2006, and was the No. 1 American player. In 2007, he was a member of the championship United States Davis Cup team.

Earlier this year, Blake and fellow American Jack Sock won the doubles title at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. The pair also advanced to the finals at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis.

Other notable Americans in the field include 2009 champion Rajeev Ram, ATP World Tour veterans Michael Russell and Brian Baker, and rising stars Dennis Kudla, Tim Smyczek, and Rhyne Williams.