Picture Special: Rafael Nadal’s pre-service routine

Rafael Nadal’s long-drawn-out pre-service routine has caused plenty of controversy in the past.

Opponents have often been frustrated by the amount time the Spaniard takes between points and the 24-year-old has received his fair share of time violations for exceeding the 20-second limit.

Recently, however, he appears to have cut down his idiosyncratic routine to at least some extent.

The images below show the world No.1’s actions from one point to the next during his first round clash with Kei Nishikori at Wimbledon 2010.