Eighth seed James Blake hit hard at Fernando Gonzalez's sportsmanship on Friday after losing in the Olympic tennis men's singles semifinal where a controversial point in the third set apparently distracted the American's mind.
Blake lost his concentration toward the end of the match when the umpire missed that Gonzalez's racquet touched a Blake backhand that went long and should have put the American 15-0 up on Gonzelez's serve in the 18th game of the third set.
"Yeah, hit a shot that hit Fernando's racquet and then went out. The umpire didn't see that it hit his racquet," said Blake.
"Playing in the Olympics, in what's supposed to be considered a gentleman's sport, that's a time to call it on yourself.
"Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn't call it," said a disappointed Blake.
After the incident, Gonzalez positioned himself to win the match when he broke the American's serve on a second break point in the 19th game, when the American hit a forehand approach long.
Blake fought hard to prevent his demise by saving four match points in the final game but made two forehand errors to lose the match from deuce.
"I've spoken all week about how much I've enjoyed the Olympic experience, how much I love the spirit of it, how much I love the other athletes, what they've sacrificed, and you appreciate that. And the guys go out and compete their hardest, win fair and square, lose fair and square," said the 28-year-old Blake.
"That's a disappointing way to exit the tournament when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor.
"I know him very well. I've played him many times on tour. He does everything in his power to win. Usually it's in the rules, sometimes it's bordering on gamesmanship. Whatever, that happens out there all the time.
"But he's too good of a player to do something like that and to act like that. That's why it's disappointing, because he is a great player."
Gonzalez, playing his second consecutive Olympics, said he didn't feel anything at the point and made a bad guess on Blake's strike.
"Nobody asks me anything. We were on the court like two hours and a half and I was really tired. I didn't feel anything. I mean, I saw the ball coming to my body, and I think he was a little bit pissed in the second set because I hit on his body, and maybe he tried to do the same. I just tried to move from the ball, and I didn't feel anything," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)