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As it happenedended

Wimbledon 2018 - as it happened: Rafael Nadal into semi-finals as Roger Federer is knocked out

Follow the latest news and updates from Wimbledon 2018

Samuel Lovett
Wednesday 11 July 2018 15:03 EDT
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Wimbledon Day Eight: Serena Williams battles into semi-finals

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Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal go head to head on Centre Court in what is today's standout quarter-final.

After beating Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 7-6 (7-5), Del Potro is making his first quarter-final appearance at SW19 since 2013.

Nadal, meanwhile, reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2011 with a straight-set win over unseeded Czech Jiri Vesely.

Both men have struggled with injuries over the years but it is Nadal who heads into the clash as the favourite, having not yet dropped a set at the All England Club.

Follow all the live action below:


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Order of Play - Day 10

All times BST, seeds in brackets

Centre Court

13:00: (12) Novak Djokovic (Ser) v (24) Kei Nishikori (Jpn), (5) Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) v (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa)

Court 1

13:00: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) v (8) Kevin Anderson (Rsa), (13) Milos Raonic (Can) v (9) John Isner (USA)

Court 2

11:30: (1) Timea Babos (Hun) & Kristina Mladenovic (Fra) v Alicja Rosolska (Pol) & Abigail Spears (USA), (3) Barbora Krejcikova (Cze) & Katerina Siniakova (Cze) v Tatjana Maria (Ger) & Heather Watson (Gbr), (12) Matwe Middelkoop (Ned) & Johanna Larsson (Swe) v Jamie Murray (Gbr) & Victoria Azarenka (Blr), (10) Juan Sebastian Cabal (Col) & Abigail Spears (USA) v Robin Haase (Ned) & Kirsten Flipkens (Bel)

Court 3

11:30: (12) Nicole Melichar (USA) & Kveta Peschke (Cze) v (15) Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom) & Mihaela Buzarnescu (Rom), (6) Gabriela Dabrowski (Can) & Yi Fan Xu (Chn) v Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) & Lucie Safarova (Cze), (5) Nikola Mektic (Cro) & Hao-Ching Chan (Tpe) v (9) Michael Venus (Nzl) & Katarina Srebotnik (Slo), Kim Clijsters (Bel) & Rennae Stubbs (Aus) v Na Li (Chn) & Ai Sugiyama (Jpn), Cara Black (Zim) & Martina Navratilova (USA) v Lindsay Davenport (USA) & Mary Joe Fernandez (USA)

Court 5

11:00: Nicolas Alvarez Varona (Spa) v Trey Hilderbrand (USA), (13) Catherine McNally (USA) v Qinwen Zheng (Chn), (15) Maria Lourdes Carle (Arg) v (3) Cori Gauff (USA), Clara Burel (Fra) & Diane Parry (Fra) v Marta Custic (Spa) & Qinwen Zheng (Chn)

Court 7

11:00: Arnaud Bovy (Bel) v Gilbert Soares Klier Junior (Bra), (1) Chun Hsin Tseng (Tpe) v Ondrej Styler (Cze), James Story (Gbr) & Harry Wendelken (Gbr) v Arnaud Bovy (Bel) & Arthur Cazaux (Fra), Mariam Dalakishvili (Geo) & Sada Nahimana (Bdi) v (5) Joanna Garland (Tpe) & En Shuo Liang (Tpe)

Court 8

11:00: Lea Ma (USA) v (10) Xiyu Wang (Chn), (4) Xin Yu Wang (Chn) v (14) Elisabetta Cocciaretto (Ita), Drew Baird (USA) & Keenan Mayo (USA) v Titouan Droguet (Fra) & Simon Ivanov (Bul), (1) Xin Yu Wang (Chn) & Xiyu Wang (Chn) v Natasha Subhash (USA) & Katie Volynets (USA)

Court 12

11:30: Colin Fleming (Gbr) & Xavier Malisse (Bel) v Greg Rusedski (Gbr) & Fabrice Santoro (Fra), Jack Draper (Gbr) v (11) Tristan Boyer (USA), Marion Bartoli (Fra) & Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) v Conchita Martinez (Spa) & Barbara Schett (Aut), Jack Draper (Gbr) & Emile Hudd (Gbr) v Savriyan Danilov (Rus) & Henry Von der Schulenburg (Swi), Justin Gimelstob (USA) & Ross Hutchins (Gbr) v Arnaud Clement (Fra) & Miles MacLagan (Gbr)

Court 14

11:00: Iga Swiatek (Pol) v (16) Clara Burel (Fra), Lorenzo Musetti (Ita) v (4) Hugo Gaston (Fra), Trey Hilderbrand (USA) & Govind Nanda (USA) v (2) Aidan McHugh (Gbr) & Timofey Skatov (Kaz), (7) Nicolas Alvarez Varona (Spa) & Facundo Diaz Acosta (Arg) v Lorenzo Musetti (Ita) & Deney Wassermann (Ned), Daria Frayman (Rus) & Federica Rossi (Ita) v Dalayna Hewitt (USA) & Peyton Stearns (USA)

Court 16

11:00: Tao Mu (Chn) v (6) Timofey Skatov (Kaz), (5) Nicolas Mejia (Col) v Cannon Kingsley (USA), Tao Mu (Chn) & Leopold Zima (Ger) v Jacob Fearnley (Gbr) & Connor Thomson (Gbr), Cannon Kingsley (USA) & Emilio Nava (USA) v (6) Nicolas Mejia (Col) & Ondrej Styler (Cze)

Court 17

11:00: Leonie Kung (Swi) v (9) Yuki Naito (Jpn), (12) Naho Sato (Jpn) v Viktoriia Dema (Ukr), Thasaporn Naklo (Tha) & Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha) v (3) Eleonora Molinaro (Lux) & Clara Tauson (Den), Elina Avanesyan (Rus) & Caisja Hennemann (Swe) v (6) Yuki Naito (Jpn) & Naho Sato (Jpn)

Court 18

11:00: Emma Raducanu (Gbr) v Joanna Garland (Tpe), Otto Virtanen (Fin) v Anton Matusevich (Gbr), Victoria Allen (Gbr) & Destinee Martins (Gbr) v Violet Apisah (Png) & Lulu Sun (Nzl), (8) Sebastian Baez (Arg) & Gilbert Soares Klier Junior (Bra) v Yanki Erel (Tur) & Otto Virtanen (Fin

*Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 Nadal

On his fourth set point, Nadal finally gets it. We're into a fifth and final set. World Cup, what World Cup?

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:40

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 1-0 Nadal*

Another big serve from DelPo, another ace and we're at 30-0 in the opening game of this final set. Nadal overhits on the next point and then the Argentine sees out the game in style with yet another impressive serve. The world No 4 holds.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:46

*Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 1-1 Nadal

Nadal holds to love. Not much DelPo could do there. This match is hanging finely in the balance.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:48

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 1-1 Nadal*

With his thumping baseline shots, Nadal looked to have been in control of this game but a miscued slice into the net undermined all his hard work. 15-15. The Argentine is up next in the blooper reel as he nets a volley from what must have been two feet out. He makes up for it with a curling forehand winner and then, after a thrilling 23-shot rally, pulls off a diving forehand volley to take the next point. Absolutely phenomenal stuff.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:54

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 1-1 Nadal*

He can't follow it up, though, and we're into deuce. Another volley at the net hands him advantage but Nadal has other ideas as he lands a stunning forehand winner into the space to DelPo's right. Deuce.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:55

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 1-1 Nadal*

The Argentine immediately reacts with an ace. Still, he can't quite take the game as Nadal subsequently smashes an another overhead volley from the net for deuce.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 19:58

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 2-1 Nadal*

More back and forth on Centre Court, and more slips from DelPo. There's also a moment of drama for the crowd as Nadal finds himself jumping into the spectators after giving chase to a crosscourt backhand from the Argentine. Unsurprisingly, the world No 1 fails to make the return and Del Potro finally secure his hold after firing down an ace. A great game of tennis.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 20:01

*Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 2-2 Nadal

Oosh. A thumping forehand winner from DelPo sees this game move to 40-40. Nadal looks to mix up his play and approaches the net after pushing the Argentine towards the very back of the court. DelPo tries the looping lob but there's not enough on it and the Spaniard comfortably puts the point away with an volleyed smash. Nadal proceeds to hold with a backhand winner.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 20:08

Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 2-3 Nadal*

It's Nadal's turn to take a tumble as he rushes to the net in a bid to meet a baseline stroke from DelPo. Lucky for him the Argentine's shot falls beyond the baseline to take the game to break. Nadal falls again moments later and this time the world No 4 finds the court to make it 40-30. The Spaniard is unrelenting, though, and with a whipped backhand he gets the break!

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 20:13

*Del Potro 5-7 6-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 2-3 Nadal

Break point for DelPo. 40-30.

Samuel Lovett11 July 2018 20:17

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