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Video: Nadal’s Anti-Tweener Lob in Rio



During last night’s 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thomaz Bellucci in Rio, Rafael Nadal came up with the perfect solution to Bellucci’s near-perfect drop-lob combo: A boring, non-show-stopping, run-of-the-mill lob!

Video: Rafa Parties at Carnival with Guga and David Ferrer

Notice how we didn’t say ‘tweener lob? That’s because Rafael Nadal was born to make wise shotmaking decisions that carefully weigh the percentages. Showboating? That’s for video games and carnival dancing, which we all know now that Rafa can do as well.

But on this occasion it was a simple, effective and not jaw-dropping turn-around lob that got Nadal a point. It wasn’t pretty, but man was it effective.

Nadal will next face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round in Rio.

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