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  • Rogers Cup Third Round: Dmitry Tursunov vs. James Blake

    7/24/08 7:14 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - It's the second meeting in six days for Dmitry Tursunov and James Blake. A quarterfinal berth at the Rogers Cup is at stake.

    Dmitry Tursunov and James Blake will do battle for the second consecutive week on Thursday afternoon in Toronto. Tursunov sent Blake crashing out of the first U.S. Open Series event in Indianapolis with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 semifinal victory. That was the first meaningful head-to-head encounter between these two hard-hitting players. Their only previous meeting came in last year's Davis Cup final after the United States had already clinched the tie, and Blake defeated the Russian 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.

    Like their Indianapolis clash, a lot more is also at stake this time around; namely a quarterfinal appearance at a Masters Series event. Of course on hard courts, that's exactly where both of these men should be. It has been a welcomed return to the hard courts for Tursunov, who struggled with his game earlier this summer. His best results this season, including a title in Sydney and a stellar fourth-round showing at the Masters Series Miami, came during the first hard-court swing. So far this week the No. 30 player in the world has taken out Nicolas Lapentti and Feliciano Lopez, both in straight sets.

    Like Tursunov, Blake struggled this summer but should be heating up on the hard courts of North America. Blake lost in the second round of both Wimbledon and the French Open, but he is back on the hard stuff and thrived on that surface earlier this season. The American was runner-up in Delray Beach and he reached the quarterfinals in San Jose, at the Masters Series Indian Wells, and at the Masters Series Miami. Blake, ranked 8th in the world, woke up from a dismal first set to roll past Jonas Björkman 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.

    Devastating forehands--two of the biggest in tennis--will be on display again when Tursunov and Blake play match number three on stadium court. Again this will come down to which man's forehand is clicking; last week it was Tursunov's. Blake's attempt at revenge would also be aided by consistent connection with his one-handed backhand down the line. Blake cannot afford a first-set meltdown like the one he had against Björkman, because that will kill his confidence with that recent loss to Tursunov surely still lingering in his head.

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