Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer & Novak Djokovic into last eight

Rafael Nadal

Defending champion Rafael Nadal was the last top four player to reach the quarter-finals, but the Spaniard could easily have been heading home this evening.

The world No.1 had the toughest draw of the top four, facing 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, but Nadal was able to come through in four sets, winning 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.

Just before the tiebreak in the first set, Nadal had the trainer on as well as the doctor looking at a problem with his foot, with the microphones picking up what was being said: “It’s right on the bone.”

However, Nadal was able to get over what would have been a major concern, and reaches the last eight at Wimbledon once again.

Del Potro superbly knocked out Nadal in straight sets when the pair met in the US Open semi-final, but it was Nadal who got the win and got revenge for that painful defeat.

Del Potro did well to take the second set having been disappointed at dropping the first, and as he missed the majority of 2010 because of a wrist injury, the Argentine has shown he is back in the big time and mixing it with the big boys.

Last year’s finalist Tomáš Berdych will not be repeating his feat of a year ago as he lost 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4 to 2010 Queen’s finalist Mardy Fish, and Fish is now set to face Nadal.

Six-time champion Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals, making it 29 consecutive appearances in a Grand Slam quarter-final.

The Swiss star dropped the first set against Mikhail Youzhny, but was able to turn the match back in his favour and win the match 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Youzhny is the first player to take a set off Federer at this year’s Wimbledon, but he is the latest player to be on the end of some superb stuff from Federer.

Federer is looking to win Wimbledon crown No.7 and tie the record of Pete Sampras, and as he has found his flair and rhythm back, he is certainly going to be unstoppable at SW19.

Federer will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after the Frenchman beat David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(1).

The player who reached the final at Queen’s has been playing some good stuff on the grass, and he did extremely well to beat Ferrer, who reached consecutive finals at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, in straight sets.

World No.2 Novak Djokovic made light work of Michaël Llodra, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

The Serb has been struggling in his previous matches, with his concentration just drifting away, but the reigning Australian Open champion was fully on his game today, and proved to be no match for Llodra.

With Llodra looking to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, Djokovic was too hot to handle, and with over an hour and 40 minutes on the clock, Djokovic was never really troubled as he easily sealed his place in the last 16.

After defeating world No.5 Robin Söderling in the last round, Bernard Tomic became the youngest player since Boris Becker to reach the quarter-finals after quickly beating former semi-finalist Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.

Becker was just 17 when he reached the last eight back in 1986, and the German went on to become the youngest to lift the title. Tomic is just 18, and the Australian qualifier will be playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, and is set to break Lleyton Hewitt’s 11-year run as Australian’s No.1 ranked player.

A tasty looking match awaits the Australian, as Djokovic is next up.

Feliciano López will be taking on Andy Murray in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard came from two sets to love down to beat Łukasz Kubot 3-6, 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 7-5, 7-5.

Ismail Vedat

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