PARIS (AP)—Doubles specialist Michael Llodra’s timely run of fine form could land him a singles start in the Davis Cup final.
Llodra qualified for his maiden Masters semifinal on Friday by defeating 11th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 7-5, 6-1, winning praises from France Davis Cup captain Guy Forget.
That victory came a day after Llodra upset defending champion Novak Djokovic in the previous round to reach his first Masters quarterfinals in 41 appearances.
Forget said Llodra now has a good chance of being rewarded with a singles spot in his squad for next month’s final against Serbia in Belgrade.
“I’m not going to lie to you, he is earning points at the moment,” Forget told reporters. “But I also have to say that the fast surface here suits him perfectly. We don’t know how fast the court in Belgrade will be, we’ll only find out when we get there.”
After Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was ruled out of the Dec. 3-5 final with a knee injury, Gael Monfils is all but guaranteed to play singles against the Serbs while Llodra is fighting with Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet for the remaining spot.
“Mika is a key player in doubles,” Forget said. “As for the singles, the player who’ll adapt the best will be granted a spot. I’m in a comfortable position, with four or five players capable of beating anybody in a good day.”
Known for his serve and volley style of play but also for his inconsistency, the 34th-ranked Llodra thinks his play has finally matured.
“I think I’m starting a new career,” said Llodra, after hitting 30 winners and playing serve and volley the whole match against Davydenko. “I can even go higher. I’ve improved on many little things, but the main thing is my mental progression.”
Forget said the 30-year-old Llodra, who played singles in France’s 5-0 routs of defending champion Spain and Argentina in the previous Davis Cup rounds, found a new level of confidence by excelling in those matches.
“His win against Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals has probably something to do with this,” Forget said. “And I’m also sure he is more serious at training.”
The French tennis federation said Forget will announce his squad for the Davis Cup final on Nov. 23.