Nadal scratches his seven-year itch to reach quarter-finals once again
Rafael Nadal ended a sevenyear wait to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals again and remains on track for another battle for the trophy with Roger Federer. Nadal has breezed through the draw so far and secured another straight-sets win yesterday, beating Czech Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
The world No 1 said: “Of course it’s an important result for me. It’s true that it has been a while since I have been in that position but, at the same time, I have been in that position a couple of times in my career.”
In the last eight tomorrow, Federer will face eighth seed Kevin Anderson, one of a number of players enjoying a career-best Wimbledon after a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Gael Monfils.
Novak Djokovic also had a comfortable passage into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Karen Khachanov but admitted afterwards the sun caused him some problems. He said: “It was really difficult conditions to play in. The last couple of games, I couldn’t really see the ball very well.”
Djokovic will play Kei Nishikori in the next round. Nishikori and John Isner are both through to the quarterfinals for the first time. Isner has only reached one previous grand slam quarter-final, at the US Open in 2011, and his serve proved too strong for Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 6-4, 7-6 (12/10), 7-6 (7/4) victory.
The American is hoping he might have some presidential support should he reach the semi-finals, with Donald Trump due to visit the UK later this week. “I’d love to have Trump come watch me,” said Isner, a supporter of the Republican Party. “That would be awesome.”
Next up for the American will be Milos Raonic, who overcame Isner’s countryman Mackenzie Mcdonald 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.
Nishikori now appears close to his best again and he had a 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (12/10), 6-1 victory over Ernests Gulbis.
Meanwhile, Aidan Mchugh had an unwelcome 18th birthday present yesterday – defeat in the first round of the boys’ championship. The Scot was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 3-6 by France’s Harold Mayot.
Mchugh said: “I was far too much behind the baseline, pretty passive. I thought the guy would miss a lot more and thought I could get away with it. As soon as I did inject pace or anything like that, the guy really didn’t like it. I needed to learn that, to be like that from the start.”