James Blake Rallies to Advance Into Third Round at US Open

James Blake joked with friends that the USTA was trying to send him out of the sport gracefully on Monday night during the tournament's opening-night ceremony.

When he first received an invitation noting he was being honored at Arthur Ashe Stadium prior to the first night session for being an inspiration to others in overcoming adversity, he didn't know what to think of it. He figured that he would be replaced by someone else as the time neared. But he never was replaced. And Blake was the only active men's singles player to be honored during the ceremony.

He gladly accepted, but Blake knew he had a tournament at stake. And after four days following the opening ceremony, he's still alive.

He rolled through his first-round match at the Open on Tuesday in straight sets and didn't stray from his workmanlike attitude.

In the second round on Thursday night, Blake, a native of Yonkers (NY), rallied behind his hometown crowd to defeat Peter Polansky of Canada in four sets 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

He dropped the first-set tiebreak in debilitating fashion, losing seven of eight points in the breaker. The match looked to be shaping up to be another disappointing early-round summer exit for Blake, in what has been a disastrous three months for the 30-year-old American. But Blake dug deep, became the aggressor, and surged to win three sets in a row to advance into the third round.

Blake's serve was spectacular, generating 12 aces and winning 62 percent of his second-serve points. He was only broken twice in the match, while his return game was solid – breaking Polansky on six occasions.

Blake showed life, something he lacked a majority of the summer.

But he will need to be more consistent if he is to advance into the fourth round.

Blake looked to be in control of the fourth set when he broke Polansky two times to go up 3-0. But Polansky rallied back to level the fourth set at 4-4. Blake, however, turned it up a notch -- in classic James Blake fashion. He then rolled through the last two games in the fourth set to clinch the match.

While Blake did not knock off a big name or a quality player by any means -- Polansky is a qualifier ranked No. 205 in the world -- his will to keep fighting after losing the first-set tiebreaker shows the fire is there. And that's the same fire he questioned all summer.

Blake generated 52 winners in the match, spraying the court with laser-like groundstrokes for the majority of the contest. He was also superb at net, winning 21 of 25 approaches. He converted the big points in the match when he had to, including six vital breaks against the Canadian. His reaction time was superb and his movement was even better Thursday.

Blake advances to the third round where he will face the winner of the Philipp Petzschner vs. Novak Djokovic match.

It's not so incredulous to believe the USTA did want to honor Blake before his possible last U.S. Open. The 30-year-old American has performed very poorly this season since returning from his knee injury in June. Because his ranking dipped to No. 108, the former world No. 4 had to accept a wild-card invitation in order to enter the men's field at Flushing Meadows.

Since returning in June, he was ousted in the first round during five of his last seven tournaments, including Wimbledon. He also came into the tournament a loser in seven of his last 10 matches and has openly expressed he will assess his tennis future after the Open and will take time away off from the sport.

But after his energetic performance Thursday, maybe Blake should think of his future differently.

This is not to say Blake will make a serious title push by any means, that is highly unlikely -- but he definitely showed the fire and talent of old Thursday. And it's something that can be there another year if he really wants it.

Blake is one of five American men left in the tournament, alongside John Isner, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey and Ryan Harrison.