Blake Stands Out On and Off the Court

Tom Blake is one of those people who stand out in a crowd.

At six feet six inches, his shaved head rises well above those around him. In fact, it seems as if he were meant to draw attention. Watching him on the tennis court, one realizes that it is not just his imposing figure that distinguishes him.

Shake hands with the tallest member on the 22nd-ranked Harvard men's tennis team, and your palm will disappear into the same hand that has struck fear into the hearts of opposing players throughout the season. There is no question about it--Tom Blake can handle a tennis racquet like few others.

A sophomore, Blake has become a fixture on the Harvard squad, just as tennis racquet became a fixture in his hand after his parents introduced him to the game when he was nine years old. He immediately fell in love with tennis, and recalls anxiously waiting for his parents to finish their weekend matches so he could play with one of them.

But tennis is not Blake's only athletic passion. A self-proclaimed sports enthusiast, he spent many afternoons on the courts of Connecticut's Fairfield High School--basketball courts, that is.

Although he wanted to play on the school's team, his tennis coach discouraged him from doing so. There is no telling what kind of basketball player he could have been, but Blake's commitment to tennis has paid larger dividends than he ever imagined.

Following a strong freshman season after which he was named Region I Player to Watch, Blake returned home to Connecticut and began a grueling off-season training regimen to which he attributes much of this year's success.

But despite his success in his first year of college, Blake says he found it challenging to adjust to the demands of Division I tennis.

"Last year was really tough," Blake says. "I never had to practice more than three or four times per week until I came here."

Blake admits that his grades suffered as a result of having so little free time. When he returned to Cambridge last fall he decided that his academic work needed improvement, and since then his grades have risen. In addition, he changed his concentration from biology to economics.

While most Harvard students are studying for final exams this weekend, Blake and his Crimson teammates will be spending the weekend at the NCAA Championships at the University of Georgia. After an upset of 12th-ranked Florida last weekend at the Region I tournament held at Harvard, Blake thinks the Crimson is in a position to do well in Georgia. He also looks forward to the individual tournament, which begins early next week.

A major factor in the Crimson victory over Florida was Blake's spectacular defeat of the Gators' Damon Henkel. The unranked Blake finished off the nation's seventh ranked singles player in straight sets, setting the tone for the day's singles matches.

Blake has alternated between the number one and two singles spots with junior Todd Meringoff all season, but Sunday's win appears to have earned him the difficult task of playing Mississippi State's top player.

Blake's overpowering serve and forehand, combined with his fabulous ability to cover the entire court and track down opponents' shots, have helped him post an overall singles record of 26-10 this season. In doubles action, Blake and partner Phil Tseng are 23-9.

When asked about his preference for singles of doubles, Blake points to his singles game as stronger, but says he tends to enjoy playing doubles more.

"Phil is great," Blake says of his partner. "We just have a lot of fun when we play together."

When it comes down to it, Blake says, it is his love of tennis that motivated him to play. Blake credits his coach at a Connecticut tennis club with being an important influence.

"I was really bad when I was 13 years old," Blake says. "I mean, I couldn't even win a match. My coach calmed me down and taught me to be more even-tempered. He was always pushing me to work harder."

It is this combination of a love of the game and a strong work ethic that have helped make Blake the player is today. He thinks learning to manage his time after last season has also helped him remain focused.

"It was obvious that he worked really hard during the summer," junior teammate Dan Chang says. "He is a very talented player, but at first I think [college tennis] was a little too much. He has shown great improvement since last year."

This improvement has translated into success for the Crimson. Blake says that he is extremely competitive, and this often leads to animated behavior on the court.

"Tom really gets up for big matches," Chang says. "He has a lot of energy out there, and we all feed off of it. He's always ready to play, and that sets the tone."

No matter what happens this weekend, Blake claims that he is going to take some time off this summer. But then there is his younger brother, a high school junior, who is "a lot better than I was when I was his age," Blake says.

Wouldn't he like to challenge Harvard's top player on the court this summer?

"Well," Blake says, "I say I am going to take time off, but that doesn't really mean anything."