Tomas
Berdych will face Michael Llodra in a high octane match in the second round on
Wednesday, the 30th May. Both have split victories in the four meetings
so far. However, it would be their first encounter since U.S Open, 2010.
Berdych is
the seventh seed and is in good form. He took a set from Federer in Madrid finals
earlier this month. He has a strong serve and powerful ground strokes. Players
who have troubled him are those who do not succumb to his power and stretch him
into long rallies. In Llodra, he will find an opponent who plays a totally
different type of game. There would be constant hustle at the net. Speed of the
game will be very fast. There would have to be instant decisions on the shot
selection and placement. With the passionate crowd giving full vent to vocal cords,
the court arena will resemble a pressure cooker.
Llodra will
strive to win through winners, and not by inducing errors in Berdych’s game.
Both would have comparable number of aces and similar percentage on first serve.
Llodra will play more spectacular winners which would bring the crowd in and if
Berdych gets unnerved, his problems would start with serve and then, with the
timing of ground strokes. His strategy would be not to allow Llodra to get in
position to execute volleys.
There is a
gap of 50 in the rankings of the two players. This difference will vanish in
thin air if Llodra is able to execute his game plan. Berdych is the strong
favourite on paper, but Llodra has the capacity to spring surprises.
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