Thiem Hits the Rarest of ‘Tweeners in Paris

‘Tweeners are becoming an all too common entity on the tennis landscape. You see them struck gratuitously, at inopportune moments by bored players who often eschew the safer, more stable shot to make the highlight reel.More: Alexander Untied an Umpire's Shoes in Paris and Yes it Was FunnyWe see a lot of them, and while they’re always fun, they’re not always original. But a ‘tweener return of serve? Not that’s something. And that’s what Dominic Thiem did today during his loss to Fernando Verdasco. And it wasn’t struck at all gratuitously. Thiem simply got caught by a bad read of Verdasco’s wicked slice serve down the T, and did the only thing he thought he could.Even better, he won the point.Score one victory for the sensible ‘tweener!Here’s another look:
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Chris Oddo is a freelance sportswriter, podcaster, blogger and social media marker who is a lead contributor to Tennisnow.com. He also writes for USOpen.org, Rolandgarros.com, BNPParibasOpen.com, TennisTV.com, WTAtennis.com and the official US Open program.