Black Tennis Pros

American James Blake during first round match against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia  on Day One of the 2012 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Native New Yorker and hometown favorite James Blake, now 32 and playing in his 12th US Open, and a new dad as of June, toughed out a lengthy, momentum-killing rain delay and defeated Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round in Louis Armstrong Stadium Monday.

After coming out a bit flat to start the first set, Blake and Lacko traded a slew of unforced errors. As the stands began to fill up with late-arriving supporters, Blake slowly found his rhythm. The 24-year-old Lacko – who hasn’t won a match since losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round at Wimbledon – continued to struggle.



In the first set, after serving his first perfect game of the match to tie the score at 5-5 and breaking Lacko with a cross-court Hail Mary return that just grazed the line, Blake grabbed a 6-5 lead. He served out the set 7-5 with a perfectly placed ace clocking in at 125 mph.

Blake cruised in the second set with the crowd behind him. The American capitalized on an early break of Lacko, and he built an insurmountable lead, finishing the set in 28 minutes.

That momentum vanished after a two-hour rain delay. The veteran Blake appeared stiff when he returned to the court, and he allowed Lacko back into the match, giving up his serve and essentially handing the Slovak the third set.

After trading early breaks in the fourth, Blake survived the brief scare, finally claiming the win on his fourth match point, as he confidently stepped around a backhand and crunched a forehand down the line.

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France's (R )Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and (L) Michael Llodra awarded Silver Medals during 2012 Olympics Medal Ceremony for Men's Doubles

(L-R) Richard Gasquet, Julien Benneteau, Bronze Medalists, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra, Silver Medalists.

(L-R) Silver medalists Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra of France, gold medalist Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan of the United States and bronze medalist Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet of France pose on the podium during the medal ceremony after the Men's Doubles Tennis final match on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on August 4, 2012 in London, England.

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2012 Olympics Women's Doubles Gold Medalists USA's Venus and Serena Williams

Russians Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko, Americans Venus and Serena Williams, and  Lucie Hradecka, and Andrea Hlavackoa of the Czech Republic Photos by Getty Images

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I don't know about you, but I have totally enjoyed the Olympic tennis tournament. I thought that having the Olympic tournament played at the All-England Club would add a touch of history to an already historic event and it completely lived up to everything I imagined it would be. The crowd was not the usual Wimbledon crowd. There was a bit more chatter between points, that at times gave it more of Flushing Meadows feel. It was with this backdrop that Serena Williams turned in one of the most remarkable performances of her career, and joined Steffi Graf as the only women to win all four grand slam events, and an Olympic gold medal.

 Throughout her career Wimbledon has been known as big sister, Venus', house. Let the record reflect that in the summer of 2012, little sister was holding the key. By winning Wimbledon last month and coming back to the same location to claim gold for the United States, Williams has firmly restored herself at the top player in the women's game again. Some may want to call this a comeback, I prefer to call it a rebirth.

 There's nothing like almost losing something to make you value, and treasure it even more. For Serena Williams it was an injury followed by illness that threatened both life and career. Faced with a simular situation, most of us would evaluate and take inventory of both success and failure. Then there are those glasses that we leave half empty, or would that be half full. No doubt Williams took inventory of her remarkable career and had time to reflect on some of those half full glasses.

 There is an old saying , " If only youth had wisdom." How many times have we seen professional athletes in the latter stages of their careers wishing for the vitality to go along with wisdom and knowledge that had been gathered along the way. At both Wimbledon and the Olympics, Serena Williams summoned the enthusiam of her youth to go with the wisdom of her 30 years and the result was sheer dominance.

Serena Williams triumph over Maria Sharapova lasted 1 hour and 3 minutes, and maybe it's fitting for the sands in the hour glass are now fewer for Williams. She danced on the court after winning the gold medal at the Olympics, and all the while hearing the sound of a ticking clock. Maybe it's that ticking clock that now motivates Serena or could it be her sense of history, or perhaps it's those half full glasses from years gone by. It promises to be vintage Serena, and when it's done all glasses will be empty !!   New York City... You're Next !!!

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It just doesn't get any better... American sisters Venus and Serena Williams celebrate yet another jewel in their crowns, 2012 Olympics Women's Doubles Gold.

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American sisters Venus and Serena Williams celebrate winning the Gold Medal in Women's Doubles

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Serena Williams relishes her role as copycat little sister. Even if it takes her 12 years.

Now, she has that remarkable Olympic double - just like Venus.

The overpowering American pair teamed to win the women's doubles title at the Olympics on Sunday, with Serena adding to the singles gold she won on Centre Court at Wimbledon a day earlier.

"Crazy," Serena said. "I'm always copying her. I forgot that she did it in Sydney and I do it here. We're the same doubles team, we just split this to singles, so it's cool."

The sisters beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 under the roof on a rainy afternoon at the All England Club. Venus - with her red, white and blue braids pulled back into a bun - closed out the match on the very grass she has long loved with a backhand volley winner after the Czechs saved a pair of match points.

"We all talk about this, 'We have so many medals,' but to be able to add to that, it's like an unbelievable feeling," Venus said. "You know that in that count, there you are. It feels amazing."

On Saturday, Serena beat Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 for the singles gold. She joined Steffi Graf as the only women to complete the Golden Slam - winning the Olympics and the four majors.

When the Americans in the crowd at Centre Court broke into a chant of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" as the players left the court, the sisters each pumped their fists, turned around to wave, then slapped a high-five. The medal ceremony had to wait for the outdoor bronze-medal match, which was delayed by rain.

With Bob and Mike Bryan capturing gold in men's doubles Saturday, make it three golds for U.S. tennis in two days.

"It's great because America's added three gold medals to our medal count just in the tennis," Venus said. "I feel great to be a part of this U.S. team this year."

Serena became tennis' first double gold medalist at an Olympics since Venus won singles and doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games. The sisters also won the doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

With Sunday's victory, they each have a record four Olympic tennis gold medals, and the sisters didn't drop a set through their five matches at the London Games.

While Serena was thrilled to win on her own Saturday, with Venus rooting her on from the family box, the doubles is what she most cared about coming to the London Games.

Especially considering all the emotional and physical struggles for Venus, who was diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.

"This is all I wanted," said Venus, who had all of about two months to raise her ranking and qualify for the Olympics. "Boy, was that a battle. That was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I really feel proud of what happened here at the Olympics."

But for years Venus has been comfortable on the lawn at Wimbledon, where she has won five of her seven Grand Slam titles.

"Venus has been going through so much and she's so strong and so she's so amazing," Serena said. "And to win this was my goal."

The Williamses also became the first tennis players to win Olympic gold indoors since the 1912 Stockholm Games, a match played in a pavilion on wood courts painted black.

On Sunday, they won the fourth game of the second set at love on Venus' ace, the first of three straight games in which they didn't lose a point.

Serena overcame two break points trailing 1-0 in the second set. She pumped her fist and cheered after a forehand winner down the alley past a poaching Hradecka, who was aggressive at the net all afternoon.

The Czechs held in four of their first five service games, including Hlavackova's first that went to deuce four times.

Venus Williams joins Conchita Martinez of Spain as the only tennis players to win medals at three different Olympics. Martinez's medals all came in doubles - silver in Barcelona in 1992, bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games and silver in Athens in 2004.

Gigi Fernandez and current U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez are the only others to win back-to-back Olympic tennis gold medals after they teamed for doubles titles in 1992 and 1996.

And the sisters insist they're not done yet.

"We're looking forward to Rio," Serena said, "and trying to get some sort of medal there."

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President of the United States Barack Obama celebrates his birthday today.

The President kicked off his birthday with a round of golf at Andrews Air Force Base.

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