I am writing my final blog from 30,000 feet, actually in a lot of turbulence, heading home from China. We had a great celebration last night in celebration of the Bryan Bros. winning the bronze medal.

Both the Bryans and James Blake were excited about the opportunity to win a medal for the United States. James had a brutal match against Novak Djokovic, No. 3 in the world and Grand Slam champion. James played well from the ground but lost a tight tiebreak in the second. But after watching James compete for the past two years, I really think he will finish his career with a Slam – he is that good.

Beyond being a great player, he is a class act, and I’ve learned a lot from James and the way he treats people. I really enjoyed spending time with him at the village.  It was amazing how much of an international star he is – so many athletes came up to him for pictures and autographs.  As we were leaving today I couldn’t help but feel sad that he was not in the gold medal match. He played so well and deserved to be there, but I know he will rebound and keep playing the great tennis he played at the Olympics to the US Open.

James’ tough losses really confirmed in my mind that tennis is about competing to the best of your ability and continuing to improve and get better.  If it was only about the wins and losses the sport would be miserable and I think James does enjoy the process of working to become the best he can become.

The Bryans got the bronze, which might be the hardest medal to play for. If you win the match you get a medal, if you lose you get nothing – you can be so close but so far.

They played a great match against Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, a team that has beaten them in some big matches (Wimbledon finals, Davis Cup). There is no love lost between the two teams.

The Bryans were so happy and the team was so happy for them – we got some great pictures of the ceremony and I am going to put the picture up with the picture I have from Tennis magazine when I was working some with them at 16. Boy, have they come a long way!

It has been nice in the past years to reconnect with them, they’re great guys.  It is funny to hear what they remember about our days traveling together, lots of fun and they are really the best doubles team in the world.

The play at the Olympics was incredible. We could all feel the tension and the desire of the all the athletes to do their best for their country.  The Chinese were great and boy, do they follow the rules – I had 3 people trying to get me out of the wrong section during James’ bronze match. The funny thing was that the seats were empty.

I saw how much they followed the rules when a Bulgarian weightlifter tried to get a coffee without waiting in the correct line at the village restaurant.  He had no chance... the young Chinese girl sent him to the back of the line.  That being said, the people were all extremely nice and loved having us in their country. I showed my appreciation for their kindness by giving them the most prized possession of the Olympic Games, an Olympic pin from the United States.

Well, thanks for reading my blog and I can’t wait to get home to my family. Hopefully they will let me in even though I didn’t get the greatest gifts. I did get a lot of Olympic shirts from the team house but was confused when I found out they could be bought in the States online. Thankfully someone explained to me that it’s the thought of buying the shirt that counts, so I feel better having paid for an extra bag of luggage at the airport for items I can buy in the States...

I want to thank the USTA and the USOC for giving me the incredible experience of being a part of the Olympic Games and the players and staff for all the great work they did!

Jay Berger

Today was one of the toughest coaching days I have ever had.

Our players fought their hearts out and lost two tough matches.  Both the Bryans and James Blake performed incredibly and represented their country with honor as they lost matches that would have got them into the gold medal round.  James played an epic match against Fernando Gonzaleaz of Chile. I have never screamed so hard as James tried to pull through the match -- he ended up losing 11-9 in the third set and had three match points.

He played great on the match points, but Gonzales just played unreal, serving huge.  The match was marred by controversy as on the first point at 8-9 Gonzales touched a ball with his racquet and redirected it out. The umpire did not see it and Gonzales did not call it on himself.

Overall, it was one of the most exciting matches I have ever seen and James played phenomenal tennis in defeat.  Although down, James after the match handles himself as a true champion and should be ready to battle for the bronze medal against Djokovic.

We had to wait 4 1/2 hours for another doubles match to finish before the Bryans got on against the Swiss team led by Roger Federer.  It is tough waiting that long as the previous match went to 19-17 in the third set. The situation got comical as we kept waiting, and we all got a little punch happy.

The Bryans showed why they are the best doubles team in the world, dominating the net, but Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka served too well, beating them in two close sets.  I hope they win the Bronze today against France -- they are great guys that live for playing for their country.

Our guys played great and just lost by small margins -- it shows the parity in our sport. Overall, the tennis level has been incredible. After a short rest, I was able to get up in the morning and buy some souviners at the village store.  James and I will probably watch the other sports on the television rooting for the US and the athletes we have met before heading for the courts at 2:30 for a 3 pm hit. 

We need to get the taste of the losses out of our system quickly and prepare for two huge matches to win some medals.  It is going to be tough but we can do it!

Going to move back to the hotel tonight. I will stay here until Monday if James wins for the medal ceremony, or leave on Sunday if he loses.  I still need to buy some presents for my children but if I don’t I’m sure they will understand (NOT!!!)

Well, it’s been a few days since I have been able to blog since moving to the village.

I decided to move to the village so James would not have to stay by himself and the departure of Sam and Robby opened up a room for me. It has been great eating in the village and the energy of the village is infectious.

The Chinese did a great job of making the village comfortable for the athletes and the US tennis team has a three-room apartment.  It is really convenient to be so close to the venue for the athletes and it is great to get to know the other athletes and coaches.  We sat next to the swimming team yesterday at lunch which was great because James and I went to the swimming in the morning. We got the blow-by-blow of America’s dramatic relay victory by the swimmer that swam the second leg of the race. We found out that the French had been talking “smack” which motivated the Americans even more.

There is a great camaraderie among the American athletes in support of each other and it was fun sitting by gold medal winners, all very nice people. We have also been amazed by what a lot of the athletes eat -- let’s just say that McDonald's is amking a lot of hamburgers and fries. James is getting a kick out of seeing the top athletes -- and I mean top -- eating hamburgers from McDonald's. He says he’s going to use that when he talks with his nutritionist and physical trainers.

We have been getting back from the courts around 12 and having a nice snack before bed, all the American players are still struggling with sleep and 5 hours is a lot for us.

The tennis has been great for the American men. James followed up a great win against Gilles Simon with his first victory over Roger Federer, what an exciting match! Roger was a little off but what an effort to beat the best player in the history of the game. James was thrilled but knew he had to focus on today's match against Gonzalez from Chile, who is a great Olympic player winning a gold and bronze in Athens

The Bryans are also playing  great and have a huge match today to go into the medal round and play for gold.  They are so focused and want the medal badly, they deserve it and are playing great tennis. 

The funny part at the courts has been the battle for food at the tournament.  We only get one meal ticket a day and that is only for players that have a match and you can’t go back for food again.  We have been trying to get more tickets and it has been a team challenge to get food, mostly unsuccessful.  It is funny trying to see tennis stars trying to sneak into a buffet line; it's all in good fun.

After the matches today, it's shopping as my wife told me my children are expecting great presents -- and I have bought none so far.

Another long night – we arrived back to the hotel around 1 in the morning.

The big match of the day for the USA men’s team was James Blake against Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia.  Hrbaty is an incredible striker of the ball and it was a tough match with huge hitting from the start.

James won the first set in a breaker and started to cruise in the second, but then Hrbaty started playing unbelievable. James toughed out the third set to keep his medal chances alive.  Tomorrow he plays Gilles Simon of France, who has been on fire this summer.

Besides James’ match I spent the day helping the Bryans warm up, which is always fun. I also warmed James up. I love playing tennis so the chance to hit with the best is always fun for an old man.  I still hit the ball well but more than that, I love playing.  The Bryans played well, putting a beating on the team from the Bahamas, which included top doubles player Mark Knowles.

The day was also spent talking with Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri about their matches and working on some areas of their games in preparation for the US Open. They both trained for over two hours in the heat (great workout). At the end of practice on Court 2 we had Chinese music blasting louder than I have ever heard it on a court. It was comical because we could not hear the balls being hit.

The people here are very nice but definitely follow the rules – only one meal ticket per player for the day, and that is only allowed if they are playing.  It’s funny to see Serena Williams trying to figure out how to use the day before’s meal ticket on the following day and getting enjoyment out of making it work.  They also would not give Nadal an extra can of balls. I am impressed how these players take these things with a grain of salt and smile and do not push like stars at all. 

President Bush (41) was at the venue today supporting the American players and talking with players from other countries.

I am going to stay at the village for the next few days as Sam and Robby are leaving to go back to the States. I want to experience life in the Olympic Village and spend some time with James as he waits to play late on Wednesday.  The weather is incredibly hot and humid in the day so I am glad the matches are all going to start late from today on. It might also give us a chance to explore during the day.  I hope the US has a great day today on the men’s and women’s side. The matches get tougher and more important from Wednesday through the rest of the event.

Well, the weather cleared and the second day of Olympics got off without any rain. What a great venue it is, with a great center court and spectators close to the courts on the outside.

I hear they are going to build 55 courts at the facility and make it their national tennis center. 

We had all late matches scheduled so I was able to sleep late – which I needed. It’s very difficult to adjust to the time change and I finally slept through the night.  When I saw Mike in the morning he was going on only four hours of sleep... I told him it was a great opportunity for me to get him in a baseline game!

I have played the Bryans many times during Davis Cup ties in baseline games (where no serve is used and you play 2 up against 2 back).  In the past two years of assisting the Davis Cup team, I have won about two out of 80 times... not a very good record.

I thought this was my chance but I went down to them again! I got beat on 4 hours of sleep...  I

Still, I’m having a great time hitting with all the players. I still love playing and hit the ball pretty well as long as I’m not moving.  The Bryans are primed for a gold and will start their run on Tuesday.

I found out today there is no trust in the pin exchange as Miloslav Mecir (Slovak Republic coach) would not trade a Slovak pin with me until I produced my US pin on the spot. Apparently, there is no owing in the pin exchange.

Things are great with the players in the village and Lindsay is paying close attention to James, Sam, and Robby’s pranks. She has been suspicious since finding salami in her pillow and has resorted to locking her door at all times.  If I know the players, this will not suffice in stopping them!

Play was exciting as Sam played against Igor Andreev to start things off for team USA. He played well but Andreev was too tough and beat him in straight sets. Sam got down in both sets early and could not break back. But Sam is a great player and I could see him on the podium in four years; there is nothing stopping him from being a top 10 player.

It was a tough day for team USA with Ginepri going down to Djokovik 6-4, 6-4 – man, can these guys play.  Robby played extremely well but Djokovik served to well to be beaten.  I think Robby could have done some damage in the draw if he could have gotten some matches under his belt.

Both Sam and Robby are going to enjoy the experience before heading home in a few days to prepare for the US Open.  James and the Bryans are set to play on Tuesday and hopefully the US has a great day.  I need to get some sleep as I got home at 12:30 am and I am leaving for the courts at 8 am – rough job but I would not want anyone else to do it.

I am having a great Olympics and the time of my life.  I hope to see some other events when I have time later in the week.

Sunday was a rainy mess with only James Blake getting on the court for the men, but coming out with a great victory over Chris Guccione.  James was feeling great getting – one of the only matches completed and it gives him a lot of confidence as he goes for a medal for the US

The day was spent sitting around waiting for courts to dry.  Players were trading pins – an art I have not tried to learn.  The leader on our team is Leizel Huber... she has her badge completely filled! I did get a special beautiful pin from a Chinese player though.

A lot of our team is still staying in the village and are having a great time. I know Sam Querrey got to go to the swimming last night and it he said it was great.

I wonder if the girls figured out Blake put salami in their pillows?

In any case, it was a very mild prank for the men’s team.  We did get on the court in between rain sessions with Robby Ginepri and Sam sharing a court with the Murray brothers and then Robby hit for another half hour with Venus Williams.

Both Robby and Sam are hitting the ball well but have tough matches. I have a good feeling about the way they will play but they have very tough opponents.  The forecast is for more rain so I am going to bring a book to the courts for some good reading!

The team mostly played cards and watched the Olympics on TV. The Bryans have a day off today and will probably hit indoors if it rains.  Let’s hope we get some tennis in today and the US gets some more victories.

Hi everyone,

I was definitely tired from the ceremonies the night before. All the players loved the opening ceremonies and stayed until the end – great effort.

It has been hard to adjust to the sleeping in China and I am getting about 5 hours a night – the players are getting about the same.

We are getting closer to the competition so the players are in the last stages of readying their games. Today was a great day for practice as everyone played with the Spanish players.  James played with Rafael Nadal and I was very excited to be on the court with Rafa. I love seeing the best players and how they go about the business of professional tennis and bringing that information back to the juniors I work with.

James and Rafa were killing the ball and it was great practice against a lefty. Sam Querrey played with Tommy Robredo and is hitting the ball great and Robby Ginepri hit with David Ferrer – wow, was the tennis good.

After the singles the Bryans took the court for their practice and put on a show, going 10-15 minutes without missing [Ed. note: check this classic video out]. These guys are the Federer of doubles – they have the doubles game down to a science.  I love their practices because I get to hit with them and it is always fun and high energy.

I also traded my first pin today with Olympic gold medalist Nicholas Massu from Chile.  It was a shorter day today as the players need to get rest before the matches, so I was able to get home take a nap (not a good idea) and go shopping. Wow, the prices are cheap... I bought about 10 items for 60 dollars including a Tommy Bahama shirt – not bad.

The boys are loving the village and have decided to stay. I did hear of a prank they pulled on the girls – they put some salami in their pillows. A very mellow prank for our players!

Now I’m looking forward to the matches as we start our first steps towards the podium.

Today was one of the most exciting days of my life – attending and walking in the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. What an honor and what excitement, but boy, was it exhausting as well!

Today’s practice was short and sweet. All players were given a half-hour each to play because of preparation for the ceremonies. All play had to be completed by 1:00 and James, Sam, and Robby got to play for an hour and a half on the stadium. They had a great hit and the level of play was very high. We played games to 11 with the losers getting butts up.  The practice ended with James getting Sam with a butts up in the leg – Djokovic was watching and seemed to like the hit!

I really like the stadium court and the general speed of all the courts.  The courts are playing medium which should produce some great tennis.  It is extremely hot here and the players are going through shirts like crazy because of the heat.  After practice the players headed back to the village where they have been staying and I headed to the hotel for a quick change into my opening ceremony clothes.

We hitched a ride to the opening ceremonies with USA soccer, and all the men players and most of the women players walked in the ceremony. We left the hotel at 4:00 in the afternoon and headed to the village.  Upon reaching the village, we hopped on a bus to head to the ceremony with all the US representatives.

It was nice talking with the other athletes and coaches on the bus. We met a cyclist who trains at the USTA facility in Carson, which was neat.  I decided to take Bob’s video camera to document the experience. When we got closer to the staging site we were put in a room with all the American athletes – as you can imagine, the star appeal was huge and our players are not bashful about getting pictures with the other athletes... We had a great time shaking hands with USA basketball, i.e. Koby Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and crew.

I also met players from other sports such as Jenny Finch from softball.  Our guys took a ton of pictures with the other athletes and coaches.

It was great to see so many athletes and coaches together for one purpose – to represent the US at the Olympics and participate in the greatest sporting event in the world.  The highlight for me came when I met former President Bush and our current president Bush. I also got a picture with both. I have always wanted to meet the President of the United States and today that dream came true.

After the meet and greet with US athletes we walked to another holding stage which had all the athletes from all over the world in the gymnastics arena. Unfortunately, there was no air and it was extremely hot in our Polo slacks and jacket. I was sweating worse than when I am on the court...

It was finally our turn to get up and walk towards the stadium: USA, country 140.  What an experience listening to the cheers as the US athletes walked into the Bird’s Nest stadium. It was incredible and an experience I will never forget, feeling the cheers of all the people from the spectators to the delegations.  It was interesting to watch the countries walk in in solidarity and good will, seeing the pride and joy in athletes and coaches from big and small nations alike.

The show and lighting of the flame was dramatic, coming after hours of standing and waiting for the procession of countries to come into the stadium.

Our day finally concluded upon our arrival at the hotel at 2am, hitching a ride back with USA soccer that beat Japan 1-0 on Thursday.

This is an experience of a lifetime. I’m honored to represent my country as a coach in the Olympics, and even more so to help such nice guys as the five members of our Olympic team. I’m really impressed with the professionalism of our players. You would be proud of how James. Sam, Robby, Bob, and Mike represent the United States on and off the court.

Goodnight from Beijing, what a day!