The Pilot Pen lost its main men’s draw in a stunning upset Tuesday as American James Blake (at left) was knocked out of the tournament by a Spanish player with a far lower ranking and far fewer fans. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (at right) sent an ace past the former champ, sealing a three-set win and sending spirited J‑Block fans off to pack their bags.
Ramirez Hidalgo, who is ranked No. 57 in the world, beat the No. 5‑ranked player 2 – 6, 7 – 6(8 – 6), 7 – 6(6 – 4) Tuesday night in only the second round of the tournament.
“Sorry,” said Blake to tournament director Ann Worcester, receiving a hug after his loss. Blake, who wowed the nation last year as he went from wildcard-entrant nobody to Pilot Pen champ, is featured on giant posters as a main attraction. His presence Tuesday drew 8,096 fans.
No one — not least the dozens of screaming “J‑Block” fans who’d showed up in force from Blake’s native Fairfield — expected him to lose. They filled the between-point silences with confident hoots of “Go Jimmy Kid!” and “Bam, bam, bam!”
Blake came decked out in Nike gear. Ramirez Hidalgo wore a silky blue shirt and green-tipped shoes. The two entered long rallies, but Blake at first dominated. Ending one game with a swift forehand down the sideline, he gave an authoritative grunt and strode to his chair. Blake drank Gatorade. Ramirez Hidalgo drank water. Blake took the first set 6 – 2.
Then, in the second and third sets, said Blake, “It just slipped away.” Fewer and fewer of his first serves made it over the net. The number of successful first serves plummeted over the three sets from 73, to 65, to 58 percent.
Finally, the game came to a tiebreaker in the third set. Ramirez Hidalgo won six straight points, capped with two aces. He threw his racket with joy, advancing to the next round. He’ll face No. 13 seed Xavier Malisse Wednesday.
Ramirez Hidalgo smiled wide before reporters after the match. Asked to recall highlights of the game, he said he couldn’t remember any specific points. “Just the end.”
Did the rambunctious J‑Block fans, who yelled “Whoops!” when he hit the ball out of bounds, get to him? “No,” said the Spaniard through an interpreter. “When you’re on the court, you’re in your own world and you don’t really listen to what’s going on.” Plus, “I didn’t understand” the fan’s comments, anyway.
Blake retreated to the locker room to embark on, in his words, “two to three hours of pouting.” He looked glum in a press conference, his chin resting on his hand for the whole 10-minute talk. It wasn’t supposed to work out like this. Missing so many first serves and match points was “inexcusable,” said Blake. “This year I really thought I had the chance to do well.”
If there’s a “silver lining,” said Blake, it’s that he’ll now have several more days to practice for the U.S. Open. “I’ll get down there early and start practicing on those courts.”
