Blake bullish about US Open prospects

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Cincinnati, Aug 20: Beaten Cincinnati Masters finalist James Blake said he felt his game was in good shape going into the US Open starting next week.

In his second Masters Series final, the ninth seed was outclassed 6-1 6-4 by Roger Federer yesterday, the Swiss world number one collecting his 50th career title.

Blake has reached the US Open quarter-finals in each of the past two years and having also reached the final in Los Angeles last month, is hitting top form at the right time.

''The conditions seem to be suiting me great here on the American hard courts,'' Blake said. ''I'm going to take a lot plusses from this week.'' Blake arrived in Cincinnati not even sure if he would be able to play after pulling out of the Montreal Masters with an abdominal strain.

But the American beat Nicolas Kiefer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Sam Querrey and Nikolay Davydenko to reach the final.

''Being healthy is about the biggest plus I could get going into the US Open,'' he said.

''The fact that I'm playing pretty darn well on the American hard courts overall. A final in L A, a final here, not really having a chance to compete in Montreal.

''I'll be thinking about the confidence I built, how well I played leading up to this match, just how really well I returned on the second serves, and then going to New York where I love those courts and I love the surface.''

Reuters
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