Rafael Nadal’s Masters Cup hopes took a blow on Monday when he was handed a shock straight-sets defeat by American eighth seed James Blake.
The world number two, returning to action after missing last week’s Paris Masters with an abdominal strain, was broken twice in the first set and lost a second-set tie-break to love as Blake won 6-4, 7-6 (7/0).
Blake punished Nadal with his dominant forehand in the first set but slipped to 0-4 in the second before rallying, breaking Nadal three times to force the tie-break.
”I just lost a little bit of momentum after the first set, but I didn’t want to get down on myself,” said the jubilant American. ”You never know what happens, and I turned it around and won the second set.”
Blake saved three break points in only the third game but was broken for 3-4 when he put a forehand long. But the American hit back immediately as Nadal, who received a warning for taking too long to serve, succumbed on the fourth break point.
With Nadal serving to stay in the set, Blake’s profligate strategy of coming forward finally paid off as he earned a break point and won the set.
Nadal raced to a 4-0 lead in the second before Blake managed to hold serve. The American broke twice to level at 4-4 before an exchange of breaks forced the tie-breaker.
But Nadal played a miserable tie-break and handed Blake victory on a double-fault, his third of the match.
Both players were making their Masters Cup debut after Nadal missed last year’s season-ending tournament with a foot injury.
Blake was the last player to qualify for the eight-man event on the back of a breakthrough year in which he won five titles and entered the top 10 for the first time.
The two players last met in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters in March, when Blake won in straight sets.
Despite the difference in their rankings, Nadal has never beaten Blake, who now enjoys a 3-0 record against the Spaniard.
Nikolay Davydenko was set to play Tommy Robredo in Monday’s second Gold Group round-robin match. — Sapa-AFP