Seeing more of the game, I'm still amazed about how much DO is a BH-oriented player. He seems to get a way with a lot of it, but every now and then just having the FH flick or push just as an option surely would not hurt to have, would it?
I know what you mean, but my experience (and what I have heard talking to people who have worked with players like Aruna and Henzell) tells me it is not that simple. He does have the basic shots, but their quality for returning certain balls and their transition into his overall game is a gap that is hard to fill when you have spent forever playing a certain way with a lot of success. Remember, his game used to be premised on overpowering the opponent and that seemed to work against everyone except the opponents he had to beat. He doesn't have the *instincts* and footwork speed to support a forehand oriented power game
at his level.
It's amazing that Dima is a good as he is with all the technical flaws in his game. The problem is that when you get to that level, you are almost stuck playing that way as almost everything in your game you want to introduce from scratch will be at a lower level and will take years (if ever) to catch up and see the light of day and be good enough to make your instincts let you play differently.
Remember that he used to be able to win the point with one backhand return against many opponents. That puts his game in perspective. And it is not like he is hanging around the CNT players everyday where you are putting in infinite hours trying to build your game to beat the guy next to you - he is still the Euro number 1 even on a bad day.
