Two-time champion, Rafael Nadal lost to Dustin
Brown 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the second round on Center Court Wednesday, it
marked the fourth time in a row he had fallen to a player ranked 100th
or lower at the All England Club.
In
this case, Brown -- a dreadlocked German with Jamaican ancestry who once
traveled around Europe in a camper van to keep his career going -- was a
102nd-ranked qualifier.
But he did have history of beating Nadal, last
year at a Wimbledon warmup event in Halle.
Brown,
6-foot-5, is far from orthodox. He serves and volleys relentlessly,
slaps forehands and attempts more than a few drop shots.
"If I would stay back and rally with him
left, right, that would not be a very good match for me," Brown, who
sports a tattoo of his dad on his left side, told reporters. "Obviously I
try to play my game."
Nadal
said he entered Wimbledon in a positive frame of mind, or at least
better than what he had felt for much of this season, even after he lost
in the quarterfinals at the French Open -- a tournament he has won a
record nine times -- and dropped in the rankings.
He triumphed at an event in Germany to begin his grass-court campaign, but was seeded a lowly 10th in southwest London.
As for Nadal, despite his loss, he didn't lose his sense of humor.
When
asked if he would stay in his premises near the venue and remain in
London for a few more days, he quipped: "I don't have more work in
London, so ... if you want to use the house, it's going to be free
tomorrow."

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