Often inconsistent at crunch times, Blake suffered jitters and squandered five match points en route to a 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 upset in two hours and twenty-two minutes after a bravura performance by his 26-year-old opponent.

"It slipped away," Blake said.

"He started playing great tennis and I couldn't hit any first serves at important moments.

"Its inexcusable to have so many match points on my serve and not convert."

The 25-year-old New Yorker controlled the dual from the outset with a solid display of superior shot-making while Ramirez Hidalgo simply came out flat.

Far from overwhelmed by the enormity of playing in front of a partisan crowd, the Spaniard firmed up his game and turned in a better showing in the second and third sets while Blake slumped.

"Yesterday, it was my first win of the year on hardcourt," the 57th-ranked Ramirez Hidalgo said. "I'm very happy with my performance. I had nothing to lose. I had lots of fun."

Despite the morale-sapping defeat, Blake hopes the US Open which starts next Monday will rekindle his fire.

"Two, three weeks ago, I played one of the best matches of my life in the final at Indianapolis against Andy Roddick," he said.

"I definitely have not forgotten how to do it again. I'm pretty sure its still there.

"There's no other tournament like the US Open to be fired up for."

"Also on Tuesday, Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand set up a third-round clash with second-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

The Thai star outlasted Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 while Davydenko dismantled Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-2, 6-1.

Srichaphan was nursing a right wrist tendonitis he carefully treats with an ice pack after each match.

"I'm not 100 per cent, he said. "As long as it's not that bad, I can get through the season."

On the women's side, American Lindsay Davenport successfully launched her defence of the New Haven crown with an easy 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik

The 30-year-old veteran never allowed Srebotnik into the match, serving big, remaining rock-solid from the baseline, and moving in to finish off points at will.

"I'm happy I was able to get my first match under my belt, Davenport said.

"It was a good two sets for me. It was good I didn't get injured. I felt much more comfortable returning. I had a good sense where her first serve was going.

The former World No.1, who has dropped outside the top-ten for the first time in three years, missed most of the season due to a back injury.

She only played four tournaments before returning at the WTA event in Los Angeles early August where she fell in the second round against Australian Samantha Stosur.

"When I started practicing four to six weeks ago, this was my target goal (the New Haven tournament). I said this is where I should be ready."

Despite coming into the event with low expectations, Davenports confidence is rising, albeit slowly, with each victory.

"I'm not expecting miracles to happen, said the three-time Grand Slam champion, hoping to put her game back together just in time for the US Open. "