WE MEET JAMES BLAKE!!

During the afternoon, while I was watching one of the matches, Colin was outside the stadium checking out other things. He was fortunate enough to see James Blake just coming off the practice court, getting ready for his match Thursday night at 7pm.

Well, I was bummed that Blake was not scheduled to play during the day session and I figured we may never get a chance to see him play from such a good vantage point again. So, I did what any self-respecting tennis player would do and proceeded to get tickets to the evening session!!! I figured it would likely be a quick match and we could still get home late tonight.

The kids were excited to get the chance to see Blake play and we quickly headed to our new seats in the north stands. I was right. It was a quick match (66 minutes I think). But, it was fantastic to witness his massive groundstrokes and athleticism from such close range.


After the match, Colin and Chelsea waited in line for a chance to meet James as he was leaving the stadium. While they waited in line with a pen and the tennis ball I had just acquired from the earlier match, I watched a doubles match on the Grandstand Court between Karlovic/Gabashvili and Becker/Berrer. Karlovic/Gabashvili won the match 7-6, 7-6; another exciting finish!

Just as the match finished, I saw James Blake come out to sign autographs and I rushed to be with C&C as they had the tennis ball signed. I mumbled something like, "Great match, James" and "Good luck" to which he responded with a gracious "Thank You." What a great moment to remember for all of us. He also signed Chelsea's sneaker if you can believe that!

Blake Hugs a Fan

Blake Signs Our Tennis Ball

Well, what a thrill. The weather could have been better while we were here but it could have been much worse too! I was thankful that rain did not postpone one match. This tournament gives you great access to a few of the top players in the world, which is just not very likely at the US Open. Also, any seat on the main court is good, much like Armstrong. I would seriously consider visiting this tournament again in future years. And, downtown Indianapolis was a nice surprise too.