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Home-->Sports-->Tennis star James Blake to join Lasers
 
Tennis star James Blake to join Lasers  jedwards
Updated: 2014-02-13 15:09:23

In the recent Mylan World Team Tennis 2014 Marquee Player Draft the Springfield Lasers, the 2013 WTT Western Conference Champions, have drafted American tennis star James Blake, pictured. The remaining players will be drafted on March 11, 2014.

Blake, 34, reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 4 in 2006, placing him just behind Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko. He has earned 10 singles titles and seven doubles titles since turning pro in 1999. Blake returns to the court after less than six months of retirement, announced August 2013, after his first round match in the US Open when he lost to Ivo Karlovic of Croatia. Now returning for his eighth season of WTT, Blake was acquired by the Lasers in a pre-draft trade with the Boston Lobsters. Blake will play in two Springfield Lasers home matches. Dates for the July 6-27 Mylan WTT season will be announced in March.

The right-hander from Westport, Connecticut replaces former Lasers marquee player Andy Roddick, who left the Lasers in November to join the new Austin Aces WTT franchise in his hometown of Austin, Texas. As part of todays marquee draft, Roddick plans a return trip to Springfield with his new team during the upcoming season.

Its exciting to have two American tennis legends coming to Springfield for this years Lasers season, said John Cooper, Springfield Lasers founder. We welcome James Blake as the newest member to our Springfield Lasers team. And bringing Andy Roddick back to town will be a real treat for our fans!

Blake is known for his powerful forehand, his speed on the court and his incredible comeback after breaking his neck in May 2004, when he tripped and fell headfirst into a metal net post on a damp red clay court while chasing a drop shot. During the next two years, his ranking plummeted from No. 39 to No. 210, then rebounded to No. 4. His career includes wins against Andre Agassi (ATP Tour, 2003), Rafael Nadal (US Open, 2005), Roger Federer (US Open, 2006) and Andy Roddick (RCA Championships, Stella Artois Championships and International Series, 2006).

Blakes and Roddicks careers have been intertwined since the early 2000s. They were the top two American tennis players for most of the decade. Both were members of the Davis Cup USA team, including 2007, USAs most recent Davis Cup championship, when Blake, Roddick and Bob and Mike Bryan beat Russia in the World Group finals. Blake and Roddick partnered in doubles for several tournaments on the ATP tour. They remain friends and golfing buddies, playing together at AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am just this previous weekend.

Blake was described in 2005 by the New York Times magazine as having an unusual combination of Hs Harvard, Harlem (...), handsome and humble. He is co-author of Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life, which reached No. 15 on New York Times Best Seller list. He was named People magazines Sexiest Athlete in 2002, as well as listed among the magazines Single & Sexy Men of 2008.

He is the founder of the James Blake Foundation. His Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Research Fund raised $3 million for Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City. Married in Nobember 2012, he and his wife have a daughter.

Mylan WTT league

The 2014 season three brings new franchises to the eight-team Mylan WTT league: the Austin Aces, formerly the Orange County Breakers; the San Diego Aviators, formerly New York Sportimes; and the Las Vegas Neon, formerly the Sacramento Capitals. The multiple relocations mean that for the first time, the Springfield Lasers will appear in the leagues Eastern Conference.

Season tickets for the Springfield Lasers go on sale in March, with individual tickets available in May. For ticket information go here.

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