Analysis for F.Lopez-Llodra (ATP Indian Wells)

Head-to-head record 1:1

Two left-handers are about to fight in the first round at Indian Wells. Frenchman Llodra, the great indoor player and Spaniard Feliciano Lopez who also prefers fast surfaces. Like many of the top Spanish players Lopez is left-handed, however unlike some of his compatriots he uses a single-handed backhand. Some experts say that Lopez may have the weakest backhand of any top 50 players which we are not going to argue with but we are convinced of his other weapons. He will usually slice his backhand instead of opting for the topspin drive. He is known for his strong serve and ability to play balls repetitively on the baseline. He is also a confident net player and has been known to adopt the serve-and-volley routine of play during matches. This year, he doesn’t seem to play his best however. In 2009, he played the then-longest match in Australian Open history, losing to Gilles Muller, before the Rafael Nadal-Fernando Verdasco semifinal eclipsed it in time. It was a bit disappointing result for us as we have always seen a big potential in Feliciano Lopez and we think that if he keep his nerves, he could achieve comparable results to the likes of Verdasco. Llodra, on the other hand, is a player who has not much to show on slower outside courts. He is a double specialists and his serve-and-volley style is modeled for ultra-fast indoor surfaces. It will be difficult to break him but we think that Lopez should prevail in the long rallies and he is a clear favourite in our eyes. He is a better ranked player with more experience and his odds should be around 1.65 in this match.