In appreciation of Llodra

[Bobby Jr]

I just watched the Isner vs Llodra match from yesterday.

What a fantastic match - a throwback to the 80s almost from Llodra and some truly magical shotmaking. Isner has never really had remotely good match-craft really, just a huge serve and forehand, but this would have been a sobering lesson for him in what can happen when you come up against someone with a game-plan that addressed the disparity in playing styles and they stick to it.

Llodra knew he would never hit Isner off the court from the baseline, especially on return - and I think his success with standing on or inside the baseline to return Isner's serve will be a lesson for others in the future. You may as well stand in closer and block them. As Llodra showed, you only need to get a couple back in play each game and Isner quickly comes undone.

It doesn't bother me that it was a shorter than average match with mostly short rallies. Seeing Llodra have two service games which took less than 50 seconds each was very impressive.

Now... wonder if this would work against Raonic.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

All the big servers are nothing without their serve, suppress it and they won't come out the victor against somebody more talented than they are.

 

[Wilander Fan]

Ive always been a fan of Llodra and his ancient S&V game and its interesting to watch him against various modern players on fast indoor just as a litmus test as to how they might do 20 years ago. It was interesting to see Llodra's run in Paris a couple of years ago when he upset Nole, Davydenko and almost Soderling (all top 10 players at the time). Interestingly, you never think about Soderling as having a great return while the other two players are well known for returns but Soderling was the only one who could neutralize that lefty slice wide. All three knew it was coming every time but usually they returned an easy volley for Llodra to hit into an open court.

 

[AnotherTennisProdigy]

I don't like Llodra but I do like his game.

 

[tistrapukcipeht]

I like his game too, He and Stepanek are the last 2 serve & volley guys left over.

 

[North]

It doesn't bother me that it was a shorter than average match with mostly short rallies. Seeing Llodra have two service games which took less than 50 seconds each was very impressive.

Not only does it not bother me, it thrills me! (Not necessarily talking about ace-fests, just short rallies.) I love seeing point construction that doesn't require 20-30 balls to end the point. It's a much more aggressive way to play that is fun to watch.

 

[joeri888]

They should place the Llodra type of player on a list for protected animals. They're going extinct.

 

[rofl_copter3]

Its just fun tennis to watch. He's playing DelPo right now and he's coming in on everything. If the court was faster he may have a real shot at winning the whole tournament

 

[augustobt]

Its just fun tennis to watch. He's playing DelPo right now and he's coming in on everything. If the court was faster he may have a real shot at winning the whole tournament

You're absolutely correct. His best chance was back in '10, when he had match point against Söderling in the semi-final. That year the court was very fast.

 

[3fees]

Llodra is playing well against delpo another upset ?

 

[Gonzo_style]

Llodra is playing well against delpo another upset ?

Talk about anything Pro.. Except Match Results!

 

[Moose Malloy]

They had a pretty amazing stat after the first set:

34% of all Isner's service points were unreturned serves
71% of all Lllodra's service points were unreturned!

those Isner's numbers are some of the worst returning I've ever heard of(ATP only tracks aces, but total number of unreturned serves are a more important stat imo)

and people here really think he(or Karlovic) could have been Wimbledon champions in the 90s? without ever breaking serve? Guys like Sampras & Goran had a way higher break % on that grass than those guys have on any surface. Big serve doesn't automatically mean great fast court player(Rusedski was also someone who struggled breaking serve on grass, which partly explains why his Wimbledon record was so much worse than say Goran's)

Isner & Karlovic have more in common with Wayne Arthurs than Sampras, Goran, Krajicek, etc.

 

[BlueB]

And Delpo goes down! That mach with Isner, yesterday, was a pure poetry.
Llodra is a genius, I'm a new fan!

 

[hersito]

pff you cant even call that tennis, awful s&v, no tennis played whatsoever.

 

[augustobt]

pff you cant even call that tennis, awful s&v, no tennis played whatsoever.

Please, look out for a doctor. You might be sick.

 

[Ripster]

This is why we need fast indoor tennis. Variety is good for the game

 

[hersito]

Please, look out for a doctor. You might be sick.

Nope im all right I just don't consider s&v tennis, just a deformation of the game. Just like I don't watch to watch a football game where a team only defends and counterattacks.

 

[augustobt]

Nope im all right I just don't consider s&v tennis, just a deformation of the game. Just like I don't watch to watch a football game where a team only defends and counterattacks.

Serve & Volley is completely the opposite of defense and counterattack.

 

[chrischris]

Llodra is one heck of a indoors player. love to see him fly all over the court and take the game to the net.. all OUT ATTACK TENNIS!!! helluva brave go for it style.

 

[hersito]

Serve & Volley is completely the opposite of defense and counterattack.

That you "attack" the net doesn't mean that you have an attacking game, just means that you don't want rallies to go on, just cut the tennis not generate tennis, you can't say that delpotro is a moonballer or a pusher, he is one of the players in the tour with the most atacking tennis thats why llodra didn't want to playe and just cut the points. So that for me is not tennis or if you want is the kind of play style that I don't like.

 

[augustobt]

That you "attack" the net doesn't mean that you have an attacking game, just means that you don't want rallies to go on, just cut the tennis not generate tennis, you can't say that delpotro is a moonballer or a pusher, he is one of the players in the tour with the most atacking tennis thats why llodra didn't want to playe and just cut the points. So that for me is not tennis or if you want is the kind of play style that I don't like.

That's incorrect. Delpo isn't a pusher. He has an attacking game from the baseline. His game isn't only pass the ball for the other side of the court.

And Llodra wants to finish the point. He aim for the winner, so that's definitely not "defensive".

 

[Steve0904]

I love Llodra's game. It's totally different than most players these days.

 

[Bobby Jr]

I think a point about his returning tactic against Isner is that, while Isner would have more time on slower courts - the returner would also have more chance to get racquet on ball and move forward as Llodra had a fair big of success with.

Robbie Koenig was full of compliments in his commentary and I agree, Isner just couldn't fathom someone would stand on the baseline and chip and charge his 210km/h serves*. It just goes to show - there are many ways to skin a cat. You don't always have to back up 10 feet for big servers.

(*it helps to have lightning quick hands like Llodra)

 

[Andres]

Nope im all right I just don't consider s&v tennis, just a deformation of the game. Just like I don't watch to watch a football game where a team only defends and counterattacks.

Deformation of the game? The game was originally thought to be played by S&Ving. In fact, if anything, baselining is the deformation.

 

[Candide]

It'd be a fantastic result to see Llodra win. Great for tennis, great for nostalgia and great for a swashbuckling Frenchman who never gave up his panache.

 

[Ellipses]

That you "attack" the net doesn't mean that you have an attacking game, just means that you don't want rallies to go on, just cut the tennis not generate tennis, you can't say that delpotro is a moonballer or a pusher, he is one of the players in the tour with the most atacking tennis thats why llodra didn't want to playe and just cut the points. So that for me is not tennis or if you want is the kind of play style that I don't like.

Playing style you don't like would be better.

It's an insult to the game and all who play it to say that any style you don't like is "not tennis". I may not be a fan of 30 shot rallies but I can acknowledge the hard work that went into it and that it is still a great display of tennis skill.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Nope im all right I just don't consider s&v tennis, just a deformation of the game.

Deformation of the game - what does that even mean?

He has bent the game out of shape?

 

[yemenmocha]

Too bad we don't have a normal range of surfaces like we did in the 90's and prior that included fast carpet, fast hardcourts, and fast grass. Now everything is a degree of slow, more slow or less slow.

Tennis is long past its aluminum bat moment that baseball faced. We need to return to a variety of play surfaces and get rid of poly strings.

The universal slow courts with poly strings are the real distortion of tennis today.

 

[Paul Murphy]

Will be a sad day when Llodra and Stepanek retire.

 

[Leelord337]

An incredible talent and flashy game. Love it when he wins...especially at the Paris masters . I am not French but it feels so great watching him win at his home tournament scoring those shocking upsets as a wildcard too. It's also pretty cool how the tournament lets llodra bring his son on court for high fives after his wins. Hope he wins the whole tournament. Lol

 

[AnotherTennisProdigy]

That you "attack" the net doesn't mean that you have an attacking game, just means that you don't want rallies to go on, just cut the tennis not generate tennis, you can't say that delpotro is a moonballer or a pusher, he is one of the players in the tour with the most atacking tennis thats why llodra didn't want to playe and just cut the points. So that for me is not tennis or if you want is the kind of play style that I don't like.

The entire world of tennis disagrees with you.

 

[Minion]

Been watching Llodra in this tournament, and it was really refreshing to see that "old school" tennis. The way he constructs points, absorbs pace, turns defense into offense is just amazing. I would love to see a 5 set match between Llodra and Stepanek!

 

[15_ounce]

I really enjoy watching Michael playing. Serve and volley at its best, chip and charge, a lot of overhead winners (near the net and near the baseline as well---djokovic, watch how he does a smash!), beautiful slices, great serving motion, constantly hustling his opponents around...

Would be great if he could win the tournament.

 

[BlueB]

And Querrey goes down in flames... Now the ultimate test - Ferrer!

 

[kishnabe]

Deformation of the game? The game was originally thought to be played by S&Ving. In fact, if anything, baselining is the deformation.

The 1880-1940's...were Baseline points only. No one had the brain to come to the net and play percentages till Jack Kramer came along.

Vix Seixas was an exception.

So S&V was a deformation of the true tennis. Now we are back to the starting concept of tennis.

 

[Max G.]

The best part of tennis, for me, is that there are so many ways to win. You can rely on your serve or on your forehand or on your volleys or on your speed, or on some combination of them.

It's not just a physical game, where everyone practices the same strokes and whoever does them better wins. It's a mental game, and it's a strategic game.

I'm sure that if everyone on tour played Serve and volley, I'd hate it, it would become brainless ballbashing. But that's not where the game is right now; S&V IS the variety. I wish there were more players who played like Llodra.

Unfortunately, it's pretty clearly not optimal in the modern game, the way rackets and surfaces and strings are right now. It's dying. And when the last serve-volleyer retires, tennis will have lost some variety, and we should all be sad about that.

 

[jaggy]

I don't like Llodra but I do like his game.

Any reason you dont like him?

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

Loved this match with Murray at the AO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyxhHkOel2I