Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios are on course for a showdown at Wimbledon after registering contrasting wins to reach the tournament’s quarter-finals.
Second-seeded Nadal continued his bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam with a 6-4 6-2 7-6(6) win against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Nadal came into Monday’s clash having won the pair’s only previous meeting in the third round of this year’s Roland Garros in straight sets on his way to a 14th French Open title.
It was a similar story again at Wimbledon as Nadal broke the Dutchman once to win the first set and twice to win the second and take command of the contest.
There were hopes of an extended contest as Nadal was finally broken in the third but the Spaniard broke back immediately to squelch those chances. Even a second break for the Dutchman was only good to force a tiebreak which went Nadal’s way.
Nadal will take on Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals with the American holding the distinction of ending Nadal’s best start to a tennis calendar the last time these two met.
Fritz looked dominant once again, overcoming Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.
Nick Kyrgios also joins Nadal in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon after overcoming Brandon Nakashima but needing five sets to do so.
The Australian was far from the player that took out Tsitsipas in the last round but eventually prevailed 4-6, 6-4 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
He will next take on Cristian Garín who outlasted Alex de Minaur 2-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6.
