Analysis for Nalbandian-J.Johansson (ATP Stockholm)

Head-to-head record 0:0

What an amazing encounter here in the second round. Swedish bomber made an impressive return against Mahut and will face David Nalbandian in the second round. Johansson retired from professional tennis on February 1, 2008 due to his persistent shoulder injury. Johansson said there was no other option than to quit. But on October 3 2008 he announced that he will return to the world of tennis and that his shoulder injury had healed. He was given a wild card to compete in the 2008 Stockholm Open where stamped his return by beating Nicolas Mahut in the first round. He served incredible 20 aces in the match and didn’t allow his opponent even single break point opportunity. It seems he is fully fit and powerful on serve again. He holds the record for most aces served in one match as he aced Andre Agassi 51 times in the 4th round of the 2005 Australian Open. When he has his day, it is simply impossible to break him even though his opponent will be one of the best returners in the world. David Nalbandian of Argentine employs a very aggressive baseline game, although he is capable of playing an all-court style. His main strengths lie in his groundstrokes and return game, and are complemented by his deft accuracy and incredible foot speed. His groundstrokes are technically sound and solid from both wings, and because of their depth, pace, and consistency, opponents often have difficulty breaking down one particular side. Nalbandian's trademark shot is his two-handed backhand down the line, which he often uses to set up point, by either hitting a clean winner, or forcing a weak return from the opponent. Nalbandian is also a sound volleyer, and if a situation calls for more aggressive play, he is often willing to finish points at the net. Nalbandian's serve is not one of his strengths, however it is reliable, accurate and efficient. On the other hand, Nalbandian hard court results haven´t been great this year and he has been struggling on fast surfaces all the year long. We think that the only question is how JoJo will serve today. If he manages to serve his best, he shouldn’t be broken and the match would be close. Swedish has a big chance in potential tiebreakers and odds above 3 are certainly worth trying here.