Cruise control as Nadal stays on course while Djokovic battles through
RAFAEL NADAL laid down a warning to Wimbledon favourite Roger Federer as he cruised into his first quarter-final at the All England Club in seven years. The Spaniard, who admitted on Saturday that he would have to be ‘stupid’ to want to face the in-form Federer right now, crushed Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. And an upbeat Nadal, who lost in the fourth round last year, said: “I have had some hurdles in the past few years and I have overcome them.
“I’m in a very positive frame of mind. I’m playing well right now.
“It is important for me to be in these quarter-finals.
“It’s a while since I have been in that position. When I came to Wimbledon this year I came thinking I could get a good result. If not, I would not be here.
“When I came, my goal was to do things the right way, give me the chances to compete well.
“I have played good tennis here in the past couple of years. I just lost a couple of matches that I could have won.
“I had two or three years where I played badly here, but in the rest I have been competitive. Sometimes you win, sometimes
you lose.” Novak Djokovic remains the main threat to a Federer-Nadal final on Sunday and the Serb survived a couple of tumbles and one ill-tempered throwing of his racquet to the ground to overcome Russian Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to clinch his place in the last eight.
Djokovic, right, had been worried by a knee problem earlier in the tournament and also bothered by a Centre Court crowd buoyed by England World Cup success on Saturday. But on No1 Court the Serb, though never looking happy, was never really under threat.
Djokovic said: “The conditions were difficult out there, it was very windy and getting dark at the end.
“I just had to hang in there. I slipped, but everything is fine.” Andy Murray will be back at Wimbledon today, despite pulling out of tournament before it started last week with fitness worries. The two times champion will be in the BBC studio with former British no1 Tim Henman today and on commentary duty for the first time tomorrow. The British-Croatia mens doubles team tasted victory before the two countries meet in World Cup combat tomorrow night, as Dominic Inglot and Frank Skugor beat Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
Joe Salisbury and his partner Frederik Nielsen also came through 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.
Jamie Murray and partner Bruno Soares are also in the last eight thanks to their 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Ken and Neal Skupski.