Tennis players call it the "hot dog" — the flashy, between-the-legs, back-to-the-opponent shot when chasing down a lob into the backcourt.

On Friday, No 8 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark tried the difficult maneuver twice during a practice session with No. 10 seed Li Na of China, ahead of the Olympic event at Wimbledon. Both times, she failed to swing her racket under the ball, and it trickled into the grass on her side of the net.

"I want to do it so much but I can't," Wozniacki said with a laugh to Li. Then the Chinese player tried it when Wozniacki lobbed her, and she too failed.

Players usually stick to the conventional in training, and try the "hot dog" for fun. Once in a while, though, the crowd-pleasing shot comes in handy in a match.

In 2009, Roger Federer set up a matchpoint with a "hot dog" in a three-set win over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the U.S. Open.

—Christopher Torchia

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