ATP World Number 23: Michael Llodra in 2010
Michael Llodra is a professional tennis player from France, currently rated World No. 23 by the Association of Tennis Professionals. His career’s crowning achievement is his Grand Slam doubles victory at the Australian Open in
2003 and 2004, and the Wimbledon Championships in 2007.
Llodra did not start the new season too impressively. He kicked off 2010 with multiple first round losses at two Australian Open series events, Brisbane and Sydney. At the Aussie Open itself, he made it to the second round before
losing to Juan Monaco with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(5), 1-6, 3-6. He went on through the Grand Slams to lose the first round of the French Open at Roland Garros. He was ousted by Andy Roddick in the second round of Wimbledon in four sets, and made it to the third round
at Flushing Meadows after scoring a straight sets victory over seventh seed Tomas Berdych. Llodra was knocked out by Tommy Robredo in the next round.
The French player performed wonderfully at the Paris Masters this year. The final ATP Tour event of the year was no doubt his greatest achievement this year; he defeated American pro John Isner in the first round, and went on to
shock World No.3 Novak Djokovic in straight sets. In the next round, he ousted Nikolay Davydenko of Russia to make it to the finals. His run, which has been called ‘inspired’ by experts, ended when Swede Robin Soderling knocked him out in three sets 6-7, 7-5,
7-6(6) after Llodra missed three match points.
Perhaps the one salient complaint which can be made against Llodra is that he entered the year as World No. 67, and his results managed to go downhill from there on before picking up. The left handed player lost four of the first
five matches he played.
While Llodra is known mostly for his play on the doubles courts, he managed to leave a favourable impression on the singles circuit this year round. He won titles at both Eastborne and Marseille, and made it to a singles spot greater
than the Top 30 for the first time in his 11-year career. Most of his success can be attributed to the exceptional left-handed serve which he has shown; it has proved itself frustrating to his opponents on many occasions. He is also adept at conquering weak
returns with serve-and-volley strategies, this is another feature of his playing style which routinely troubles his competition. These two points of play have taken Llodra 44 spots above his ranking at the start of the year. He used the same strategies in
his match against Djokovic, the highest ranked player whom he defeated in 2010.
While Michael Llodra (who is coached by former WTA pro Amelie Mauresmo) had a great run this season, the fact remains that he will be turning 31 next year. While his unorthodox style of play often benefits him, it can also prove
to be a hindrance – it renders him incapable of hitting the ball too hard, or becoming a power server. However, that does not mean that his 2010 run was a fluke, he has improved himself considerably, and seems to have figured out strategies which increase
his consistency. He will, with some luck, pick up a few more spots in 2011.
Tags: