PHOTO OP: Delpo + Blake share intimate MOMA after 5-set thriller in Oz

Juan Martin del Potro + James Blake shared some heart felt MOMA at the net after throwing down an epic 6-4, 6-7(3), 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 second round match won by the Argentine. The pair combined for a total of 150 winners against 120 errors and 35 aces in the 4 hour and 17 minute match. The US Open champ will face Germany' Florian Mayer for a spot in the Round of 16.


The American was still feeling the sting of another opportunity snuffed out in the stretch in his post-match presser:

"It’s tough to rank the [five set losses] but right now it hurts pretty bad,” said Blake. “I had plenty of messages from people back home who were up until 5am watching me, and I don’t even want to respond to many. I just feel bad that they were up watching and are probably going to sleep a little disappointed. Luckily for me they will all be my friends tomorrow, which will help me get through after I stop beating myself up for a few hours or few days.”

Delpo showed real grit and supreme mental strength in gutting out this win even with a sore wrist (which he says still has "a little bit" of pain.) But you gotta feel for James who plays these classic matches only to be the one on the losing side of the stick (think '05 U.S. Open quarterfinal defeat to Andre Agassi.)

It seems he's never had the ability to raise his game in the clutch and, at this point in his career, he probably never will.



[PHOTOS: Getty, Reuters]