Sixth seed James Blake survived a tough test at the US Open on Wednesday when he beat fellow American Michael Russell 7-6 6-3 7-6 to reach the second round.
Blake, along with former champion Andy Roddick considered to be America's best hope for a men's champion, battled through in two hours, 41 minutes to set up a clash with Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.
"I had to tip my cap to how many balls (Russell) got to today," Blake, a quarter-finalist in each of the past two years, said in a courtside interview.
"I feel great about how I played today. I think everyone saw how much he made me work so it's a fun match for me to win."
World number 65 Russell, who had lost in the first round in 12 of his previous 14 grand-slam matches, forced Blake to work harder than expected.
But the sixth seed, who has now won 18 of his 21 matches on hard courts this summer, said he felt happy with his game.
"I feel very confident and I've had some good results recently," Blake said.
