MY ACCOUNT
Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep claimed victories on Centre Court on Monday, a day on from celebrating the venue’s centenary.
Nadal and Halep were among a host of champions, including Roger Federer and last year’s winner Novak Djokovic, to stand on Centre Court on Sunday for a celebration of its 100th anniversary.
A day later, they were back at the venue to seal their respective progressions to the quarter-finals.
Halep, Wimbledon champion in 2019, defeated fourth seed Paula Badosa 6-1 6-2, while Nadal overcame Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6 (8-6).
Of female players still competing on the WTA Tour, only Serena Williams (14) and Venus Williams (13) have reached more Wimbledon quarter-finals than Halep (five), who will face Amanda Anisimova in the last eight.
Nadal, meanwhile, has now played 350 matches at grand slams – a total bettered only by Federer and Djokovic.
The 22-time grand slam winner was made to work for victory in the third set by Van de Zandschulp, but having overcome a wobble, went on to secure his 18th straight major match win of 2022.
Asked about being given the honour of taking to Centre Court on Sunday, Nadal said: “Yesterday was a beautiful thing sharing the court with legends of our sport.
“Centre Court for 100 years is something very special.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Halep, who is looking to reach her first grand slam semi-final since the 2020 Australian Open and has not dropped a set so far at Wimbledon this year.
“Definitely it was a place I wanted to be today. I think I played a great match,” she said. “It was a pleasure to be back on Centre Court with this great crowd supporting me.
“I missed it a lot, three years was a [long time]. Yesterday I was on the court with all the champions and it was amazing. I was more nervous than I was today.”
Next up for Nadal is Taylor Fritz, who beat the Spaniard in their last meeting in the final of the Indian Wells Masters earlier this season.
While Nadal is into his eighth Wimbledon quarter-final – and his 47th at a grand slam, a tally that lags behind only Djokovic (53) and Federer (58) – Fritz has never reached the last eight of a major before.
“In a personal way, for me to be able to be in quarter-finals after three years, it’s amazing for me, so I’m very, very happy,” said Nadal, who is hunting the calendar Grand Slam in 2022.
“Every match is different,” he added of his tie against Fritz, which he anticipates being tricky.
“He is playing well and having a very good year, including a first Masters 1000 title, against me by the way, but we will be in the quarter-final of Wimbledon, so what should I expect?”
