In-form James Blake looks to take his challenger form to the main tour as he plays Ernests Gulbis tonight in Atlanta.
This time last year retirement seemed just a matter of months away for James Blake. Would the injury stricken former world number four really be willing to drop down at challenger level at the age of 31.
However we underestimated Blake's fortitude. The New Yorker still loves the game and after many months of slogging it on in the twilight zones of tennis, he's back in the top 100 and feeling a second wind after winning two challengers in recent months.
It remains to be seen whether Blake can still be a force on the main tour. He came close to upsetting Marcos Baghdatis at Wimbledon but ultimately fell in five sets. The next couple of months will be key for him, leading up to his favourite tournament in the world at Flushing Meadows.
He has never beaten Gulbis before, losing twice to the Latvian in 2008 but Gulbis is in a slump right now. He's on a four match losing streak and has barely been able to buy a win since February. Being Gulbis that can change in an instant, the unpredictable Latvian has the talent to suddenly turn up out of the blue and walk away with this title.
However look for form to prevail and Blake to take this in straight sets.
