Djokovic rolls over Blake

For Novak Djokovic, 23 years old and No.3 the world - Saturday's straight-set 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 win over James Blake was a routine affair, a good but not great match in a career that surely has many of both to come.

But for Blake, 30, playing through a string of nagging injuries in a year when he has lost more matches than he has won, and seen his ranking fall out of the top 100 for the first time since his catastrophic 2005 injury - it will be seen as a test of his relevance. Can he still compete against the best in the world?

The evidence is mixed. On a difficult, blowy night, Blake played a somnolent first set, going down by 0-5 before holding his serve.

He appeared ready to redeem himself in the second, prowling well ahead of the baseline and hammering forehands. Djokovic serving at 2-3, 15-40, Blake hit a drop shot from mid-court and followed it in, answering Djokovic's pickup with a big swinging volley forehand that gave him a 4-2 lead and momentum for the first time all night.

Only it didn't go anywhere.

He double-faulted to start the next game and gave up the break with an ugly forehand pushed into the net.

Djokovic didn't return the favor, and they were on serve into the tiebreaker. He credited his focus, rather than his opponent's errors, for his win.

"I think he's playing maybe his best tennis at this moment," Djokovic said of Blake. "He's moving really well. He's serving as good as he served always. He has a lot of talent. He's recognizing the moment, coming to the net. He has a lot of variety in the game. I guess I have to be on the top of my game to be able to win."

And he was certainly in control of his game, while Blake had too many missed chances. Blake's last and best chance to climb back into the match came at 4-4 when he took a monstrous swing on a short, high-bouncing ball in the forecourt. It hit the net cord and landed out. He went down another early break in the third set seemed to seal the match.

Where does Blake go from here?

"I don't know," he said after the match. "I'm going to take a little break. I need the body to completely heal up."

He fielded questions about retirement and his golf game, but did not sound like a man who'd played his last match on Arthur Ashe. "If it was, you know, I competed my heart out. I did everything I could. But I think I got more in me and I think I'm going to be back there."

He'll be back to competition in six weeks for Stockholm, he said.