The terre battue may resemble a trampoline when Rafael Nadal and Jack Sock meet for the first time.

Two of the heaviest topspin forehands in the game that can produce hellacious shoulder-high bounces will be on display.

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Sock dismantled 18-year-old Borna Coric, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, to reach his first Grand Slam round of 16. The man who won his first career ATP title on the red clay of Houston last month, toppled 10th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in his opener then outdueled Pablo Carreno Busta in round two. 

Nadal's ferocious left-handed forehand feeds directly into the American's weaker backhand wing. The nine-time champion said he's been impressed by what he's seen from Sock.

"He's a great player, no? He's playing fantastic, winning very tough matches against very difficult opponents like Dimitrov, Pablo Carrena, and today against Coric," Nadal told the media after his third-round win over Andrey Kuznetsov. "He has an amazing forehand, good serve, very good serve, and then he's a player that can play very aggressive and is dangerous, no? I know I have to be very solid. I know I have to play aggressive, try to don't let him to hit the forehand in positions, because I am going to be in big trouble. I gonna try."

So just how does Rafa prepare for an opponent he's never faced before?

He hits the internet.

Nadal said both he and coach Uncle Toni watch Internet video of new opponents, compare notes on what they see then devise a tactical game-plan.

"You can find videos out on the Internet, so is nothing very difficult," Nadal said. "Normally I try to watch few videos on Internet and then try to create an opinion and try to think about what I have to do to try to bother a little bit him. I see that Toni is doing the same. Then we talk, and when that happens, the normal thing is you go on court, you try to do your game."

Still, there is no substitute for feeling the pace and weight of an opponent's shots. Nadal said he uses the first few games of the match as an assessment period and makes adjustments as a match progresses.

"Even if you watched some videos, you try to do your game," Nadal said. "If something is not going well you try to adjust. You will see on the match. Try to analyze a little bit in the first few games what you have to do to have success."

Photo credit: FFT