From: Boston Globe
“Suffering from a fractured vertebra, Blake went home to Fairfield, Connecticut, to recover. But life was about to hit him another hard serve. In July, his father, Thomas – who had taught him as a youngster to play at the Harlem Tennis Center when the family lived in Yonkers, New York – died of cancer. Then, while working to return to the tennis circuit where he’d once been ranked No. 22 in the world, Blake came down with shingles, a viral infection of the nerves that blurred his vision and delayed his comeback once again. Only in January did he finally get back to competition. Earlier this month, he joined the Boston Lobsters for their first season on the World Tennis Tour at Harvard’s Bright Arena, where in 1998 he’d played as the country’s top-ranked college man. Now 25, James Blake is at a pivotal moment. He’s just made it through a very rough year and as a tennis player has yet to reach the potential so many others saw in him.” (more…)
