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I am a tennis groupie. I make no apologies for it.
One of my greatest joys is to watch tennis tournaments. Throughout the season, I sit in front of my television rooting for my favorite players. Among those I follow is our own James Blake. Who can forget the classic match between Blake and Andre Agassi (my all-time favorite player) during the U.S. Open on Sept. 7, 2005? I even stayed up until the early morning hours of the next day to watch that epic battle to its conclusion – and had to get up for work that day after having little or no sleep. I also had the opportunity to see James play at the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven a few years ago. The power of his game is incredible in person.
As a side note, I have read both athletes’ books, Blake’s “Breaking Back” and Agassi’s “Open.” Both are good reads.
Along those lines, I undoubtedly will read Betty Blake’s newly released “Mix It Up, Make It Nice: SECRETS of a Tennis Mom,” which is a memoir of her son James’ rise in the tennis world. If you regularly watch James’ matches, you see his mom sitting in the stands. The Blakes have a longstanding connection to Fairfield. Betty Blake lives in my neighborhood and I often have seen her walking her dog. I one time had to stop my mother from tapping James’ brother Thomas on the shoulder to say hello when we spotted him having breakfast at the counter at the Circle Diner. And people tell me that they have spied James around town on occasion. I have yet to be as fortunate.
All three Blakes will be on hand Saturday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Borders Books, 1499 Post Road, where Betty will be signing copies of her book.
This is a real treat for tennis fans. I am going to do my best to get there and wait amongst what I suspect will be a throng of people.

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