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NEW HAVEN — Fans of New Haven’s Pilot Pen tennis tournament know about the legendary J-Bloch, the often raucous cheering section in the main stadium for local hero James Blake. Childhood friends and other fans cheered Blake to victory in last year’s tournament, and they screamed in support during this year’s crushing late night loss to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain.

Less than ten hours after Blake’s first round loss, a different “J-Block,” made up of Jewish tennis fans from around Connecticut, was shouting-this time, in Hebrew: “Tov M’od” (very good), “Mazel Tov,” and “Od Shnayim” (two more points!). The Jewish fans arrived early at the Connecticut Tennis Center’s stadium court to cheer on Israelis Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich, the tournament’s number two seeds. Ram and Erlich easily won their first round doubles match the previous day against Yves Allegro of Switzerland and Agustin Calleri of Argentina (6-2, 6-3) and went on to defeat Leos Friedl and Michal Mertinak in a nail biter quarter finals match on Tuesday - 7-6, 3-6, 10-7. Under new rules governing doubles, all games are no-ad, and a Match Tie-Break takes place at one-set all-the match is decided by the team winning ten points (by two) first.

In Thursday’s semi-final match, Ram and Erlich played a late afternoon semi-finals match against the fourth seeded pair of lefties from Austria, Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer. Ram and Erlich cruised to an easy 6-4, 6-3 victory. But it was Saturday’s stadium court finals match, against the tournament’s third - seeded Polish duo of Mariusz Frystenberg and Marcin Matkowski, which proved to be the most exciting. Ram and Erlich held serve and maintained their good sense of humor in the championship match, which last just over 100 minutes. Ram and Erlich cruised to the Pilot Pen doubles titles, 6-3, 6-3.

In awarding the championship cups, Ron Shaw, president and CEO of the Pilot Pen Corporation, commented to the crowd, “We have been talking this week about the tough times Israel has been going through lately. You guys have given Israel something to cheer about!”

This has been an exciting year for Ram and Erlich. They are the number seven team in the 2006 Stanford ATP Doubles Race, and they have won two doubles titles this year-at Adelaide and Nottingham. In addition, Ram and Erlich reached the doubles finals at the ATP Masters Series in Rome and in Rotterdam, and they reached the semifinals in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati. Following the Pilot Pen, both will be off to New York for the U.S. Open.

On court, Ram (26) and Erlich (29) are synchronized and upbeat, communicating directions to each other in Hebrew, and offering each other high-fives between each point. Mild-mannered Noam Behr, Ram and Erlich’s coach since December 2005, is delighted with their success this year and looks forward to their participation in this year’s U.S. Open. Behr, himself a professional tennis player since 1994, carefully observes each match of the Pilot Pen and makes notes in his notebook. Behr previously coached Dudi Sela, the 21-year-old Israeli from Kiryat Shemona, who reached a career high singles ranking of 158th in the world in August 2005.

Friends off the court
Off court, Ram and Erlich clearly enjoy each other’s company as well. In a post-match interview in the Pilot Pen media center, Ram and Erlich spoke openly about their tennis year, their families and about being Israeli on the tennis circuit. Speaking first about the tennis year, Ram notes, “Our goal was to finish in the top six-we are now number seven and fighting. We are in a good position.” When asked about his recent mixed doubles victory at Wimbledon with partner Vera Zvonerava, Ram replies, “It is something I will take with me forever.” Ram is looking forward to his upcoming marriage to Shiri Zlotikman, on Sept. 12. He laughs and notes it will take place in Tel Aviv “between the U.S. Open and Rosh Hashanah.” Friends and family will attend from Israel and his native Uruguay. Ram hopes to have time for a honeymoon “at the end of the year - after the Master’s tournament.”

As for Erlich, he adds: “Everything is solid in my life-it was a good tennis year, my family is well, and a close friend is getting married--the same day as Andy! Luckily, the weddings are in walking distance to each other.”

Both Ram and Erlich spoke openly about being Israelis on the current tour, during a period of conflict in the Middle East.

“We are like ambassadors-always have been and always will be,” notes Erlich. “In fact, we are the best ambassadors because we are not politicians.”

Erlich helps pass the time on the road by watching TV, listening to music or reading. Ram, a huge soccer fan, admits that he watched all games of the recent World Cup though he “wasn’t that interested since neither Uruguay nor Israel were in the tournament.”

Other Israeli players
Tennis fans were disappointed to learn that Israeli Shahar Peer, the world’s 22nd ranked female singles player, never made it to New Haven. The 19-year- old from Maccabim withdrew from the Pilot Pen due to a foot inflammation. Peer bypassed New Haven and is recuperating in New York, where she will be playing in next week’s U.S. Open. During 2006 Peer has won three WTA tournaments — in Thailand, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

Perhaps Peer’s most publicized match of the year was her loss to Martina Hingis in a three set match in the fourth round of the French Open. Peer has won $550,000 in prize money this year.

Israeli Anna Smashnova will also be competing in the U.S. Open.

Smashnova, who won her 12th career title this past July in Budapest, Hungary, is currently ranked 62nd in the world. This year, Smashnova teamed up with Tzipi Obziler and Yevgenia Savransky, as well as Shahar Peer, to compete in the Federation Cup.

Amir Haddad spent the summer playing for the Boston Lobsters of World Team Tennis, while Ishay Hadash attempted (unsuccessfully) to qualify for the Pilot Pen.