LONDON (Reuters) – The quarter-finals at Wimbledon took shape on Monday with former champions Rafa Nadal and Simona Halep leading the way with commanding victories while Nick Kyrgios advanced after coming through a five-set epic despite problems with his shoulder.
Second seed Nadal, who is halfway to a calendar slam, brushed aside Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6(6) to become the last player to reach the last-eight.
Halep was expected to be tested by Spanish fourth seed Paula Badosa but the Romanian needed just an hour to win 6-1 6-2 as the 16th seed looks to reclaim her crown at the All England Club after her triumph in 2019.
Halep will play 20th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova who celebrated the Fourth of July — U.S. Independence Day — with a 6-2 6-3 win over Harmony Tan, ending the dream run of the Frenchwoman who eliminated Serena Williams in the first round.
Kyrgios has stunned the field to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 but the Australian was made to work for his 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2 victory over American Brandon Nakashima.
Although Kyrgios called for the physio to treat his shoulder midway through the contest, he still managed to fire 79 winners to advance. He is the only Australian left in the men’s draw after Alex de Minaur and Jason Kubler were knocked out.
While qualifier Kubler lost in straight sets to American Taylor Fritz, who now meets Nadal, De Minaur went to five against Chile’s Cristian Garin, who saved two match points to win 2-6 5-7 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(6). He next plays Kyrgios.
But Australia will also have a women’s quarter-finalist after Ajla Tomljanovic beat Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in three sets and she will play big-serving Kazakh 17th seed Elena Rybakina who beat Croat Petra Martic.
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Highlights on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships on Monday (times GMT):
1959 NADAL CRUISES INTO QUARTERS
Rafa Nadal became the last player to qualify for the quarter-finals at this year’s Wimbledon by beating Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6(6).
The Spanish second seed will play 11th-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the last eight.
1736 ANISIMOVA AND TOMLJANOVIC THROUGH TO QUARTER-FINALS
American Amanda Anisimova had a memorable Fourth of July, the Independence Day holiday in the United States, when she reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Frenchwoman Harmony Tan.
Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic reached the last eight for the second time in a row by beating France’s Alize Cornet 4-6 6-4 6-3.
Anisimova will next face former champion Simona Halep, while Tomljanovic will play Elena Rybakina.
1716 FORMER CHAMPION HALEP BREEZES INTO QUARTER-FINALS
Halep, playing on Centre Court for the first time since winning the title in 2019, reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-2 victory over world number four Paula Badosa in just under an hour.
It is the first time Halep has beaten a top-five player on grass.
1557 FRITZ EASES PAST KUBLER
American 11th seed Taylor Fritz comfortably defeated Australia’s Jason Kubler 6-3 6-1 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Fritz, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, will next face either 22-times major champion Rafa Nadal or Botic van de Zandschulp.
1549 KYRGIOS BATTLES PAST NAKASHIMA
Australian Nick Kyrgios overcame a shoulder issue to come through his second five-setter at Wimbledon, beating American Brandon Nakashima 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals, where he will play Cristian Garin.
1440 GARIN BEATS DE MINAUR TO REACH QUARTER-FINALS
Unseeded Chilean Garin reached the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time when he came from two sets down to beat Australian Alex de Minaur 2-6 5-7 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(6).
Garin saved two match points in the contest which went on for more than 4-1/2 hours.
1331 RYBAKINA THROUGH TO QUARTER-FINALS
Kazakh Rybakina, who is seeded 17th, reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time by beating Croatia’s Petra Martic 7-5 6-3.
Rybakina is only the second Kazakh female player to reach the last eight at the grasscourt major in the Open Era after Yaroslava Shvedova in 2016.
1000 PLAY UNDER WAY
Play began under cloudy skies at Wimbledon, with the temperature hovering around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Clare Fallon/Ken Ferris)
