Llodra (v Del Potro)

Just watched him break back in the 3rd set and I got very nostalgic for a form of tennis that is so badly missed. So much imagination, variety and surprise compared to the biff-baff we watch all the time now.

Long may the Frenchman continue!

Agreed on that front - good to have atour with variety to it. There were always players like Nadal and Djokovic (e.g. Agassi, Borg, etc) but we need more guys who are like Sampras, Edberg and Rafter to add the contrast. Llodra shows that this style can work as he only narrowly lost to Delpo.

Sampras himself has said that he believes his type of game could still dominate in this era and I believe him given he was leagues ahead of Llodra. Infact we're even seeing Federer starting to revert more to this style...it was his serve and attacking forecourt game that largely won the match against Berdych albeit on a faster surface. We just need some of the up and comers to adopt a different style rather than the military baseline drill approach that is so in vogue with tennis coaches at the moment and driven by surface homogenisation.

I think it will happen, because as with evolution its all about differentiation and someone comes along who changes things up. I dont believe you can get much better at what Nadal and Djokovic do but you can challenge them using a different approach. Raonic shows this...what we need is a 6'1' Raonic with better movement, returns and volleys. The players just need to be bold...to take a riskier approach, and learn greater reward comes with greater risk.

With a nudge in their direction from the equipment/courts.

Yes...proper tennis mini-seasons....slow HC...clay...fast grass....faster HC...indoors.
Not much can be done about the racquets/strings.