For a little over an hour on Tuesday, Rafael Nadal practised on Court 16 at Wimbledon with his sights set on his next encounter; Wednesday’s quarter-final against Taylor Fritz. Accompanied by Francisco Roig and Marc Lopez, his two coaches, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was working hard to keep alive his chances of reclaiming a title he won in 2008 and 2010.

“It’s good,” Roig told ATPTour.com after the training session. “We managed to train a lot, there were a couple of days when we almost played for four hours. When we got here, the first thing was to be able to compete. He arrived here unsure about his foot treatment in Mallorca, even though it went well for him.

“The goal was to keep playing better every day. Now we’re in that situation. Given how last-minute it was, we can be happy after three years without playing on grass. So far, we’re doing well. When we arrived, we weren’t thinking about winning, but now he is among the favourites.”

To stay on track for a third Wimbledon crown, Nadal must next move past Fritz, with whom he shares a 1-1 ATP Head2Head record. In March, the American defeated the Spaniard in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a match in which Nadal played with a rib fracture that subsequently kept him out of action until the Mutua Madrid Open in early May.

“Taylor is a player that was very promising,” said Roig. “Today, his game has progressed a lot, he’s had his best results quite recently. Now he hits the ball quite well, and maybe before he struggled with mobility. Today he moves much better and that’s why his ranking has gone up. He’s very dangerous on grass, he hits the ball hard. We’ll have to have a great day.”

Roig, though, is satisfied with the progress Nadal has made in his last two matches, straight-sets victories against Lorenzo Sonego and Botic van de Zandschulp.

“I think he’s looked really good in the last two matches, although he struggled to close them out,” Roig said. “There was a big difference in the level of ball striking, in dominating, going forward. The more he goes to the net, the better he’ll hit the ball.

“Everything you do can always be done better, especially on grass. We’re working on things every day, facets that will increase his chances on court.

“You do things to improve. That is what we’re trying on our day off. We’re on grass and we need to improve things. We’re working on specific things that he may see in the match so that when he has to execute them, he is confident because he’s practised them.”

– This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s red-hot form on the grass shows no sign of abating at Wimbledon.

The defending champions eased to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 quarter-final victory against 11th seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies on Tuesday at the grass-court major. The win extended the all-Croatian team’s winning streak to 12 matches, following its title runs at The Queen’s Club and Eastbourne in the lead-up to The Championships.

Mektic and Pavic were dominant behind serve, facing no break points and winning 85 per cent (45/53) of points behind their first delivery to keep two-time Roland Garros champions Krawietz and Mies under constant pressure. The second seeds converted four of their six break points to register a one-hour, 39-minute win and improve their record as a team at Wimbledon to 10-0.

Their next opponents will be Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. The Colombian duo advanced to their second semi-final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club after Denis Kudla and Jack Sock retired from the quarter-final clash with the Colombians leading 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3).

The only previous time Cabal and Farah made the semi-finals at Wimbledon, in 2019, the Colombian duo lifted the trophy. The 19-time tour-level titlists are hunting their first tour-level crown of 2022 in London.

Taylor Fritz has enjoyed the best run at a major of his career at Wimbledon, where he is into the quarter-finals without losing a set. The 11th-seeded American will face a tough challenge in the last eight against second seed Rafael Nadal, who has won the first two majors of the season.

It will be a rematch of this year’s BNP Paribas Open final, in which Fritz defeated Nadal for his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Before the match, ATPTour.com caught up with Fritz’s coach, Michael Russell, to speak about his charge’s run at SW19, his message for Fritz, why the 24-year-old needs to be aggressive against Nadal and more.

How fun has it been for you to see all the hard work coming out at another big event like this?
It’s great. You know how tennis is, there are so many ups and downs. Taylor had the injury during the clay-court season with Madrid and Rome and then a couple first-round, early exits in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and in Queen’s.

We put a really good week of training in before Eastbourne and then obviously had that unbelievable week in Eastbourne, not even losing serve and then continued to take that into Wimbledon. It’s fantastic. That’s the pinnacle of coaching. You put the hard work in and then you see the results.

Was that foot injury dating back to what he dealt with at Indian Wells or was it something totally different?
Something totally different, which is unique. Taylor is hypermobile, so sometimes he gets these awkward injuries that just creep up. But he’s got a great physio who tries to keep him as healthy as possible and just had to deal with a metatarsal injury in his foot.

^{Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}
How has it been seeing the low of Taylor dealing with his injury during the clay-court season and now this high where he is now?
It’s the challenges of playing on Tour. You can’t expect to have title weeks every week. Obviously, you hope to. You try to put the player in the best possible situation with training and he’s got a great team around him with his physios and his consultant. We just try to make him ready to play as well as possible each match.

When it pays off, like it did in Eastbourne, earlier in the year in Indian Wells and now at Wimbledon, it just gives you a sense of joy. But at the same time, it gives Taylor that understanding of why he needs to put all that hard work in, because it does pay off, and that’s the result.

Early in the grass season, were there doubts he would be able to play Wimbledon?
There were a couple of doubts. We just weren’t sure if the foot was healed properly and then he had a little bit of a knee issue, but we realised that a lot of that was just not being fit enough after the foot injury, because he was in a boot for two weeks. And so he just wanted to play the French Open, but we didn’t think we had the proper training before that, and I think that affected the first couple weeks on the grass.

After we were able to finally get a really good training block in, we saw that he was going to be ready to play Eastbourne and obviously a fantastic run so far here at Wimbledon.

Obviously the Indian Wells final was a bit different between Taylor and Rafa. We know what Taylor went through with his foot and Rafa had his injury. Despite that, how much confidence is Taylor able to take knowing he beat Rafa in an ATP Masters 1000 final?
That’s a huge confidence booster, to have that win in his belt, in a final on such a big occasion. He needs to use that confidence and belief when he steps on court tomorrow.

After his last match Taylor said he wanted Rafa. When a lot of players face the likes of Rafa, Novak and Roger, there’s an element of an intimidation factor. How nice is it to coach someone who wants those moments?
Taylor is a very confident individual and that’s part of the reason why he has a lot of success. When he steps on court, he believes he can beat anybody. It’s great to have a player who’s that self-confident. You just have to back it up off the court and with all the practice sessions and when you take that self-confidence on the court, you can execute all your shots.

Is that something you think he was just born with?
Taylor’s always been very self-confident and then when the self-confidence wanes a little bit, either due to injury or he’s just not feeling it, then we just put the hard work in on the practice court, in the gym, off court. All those extra items and activities help to create more confidence

How different is it playing Rafa at a place like Indian Wells compared to the grass at Wimbledon?
It’s completely different conditions. You have a Grand Slam, you have a grass court, which is a different surface. You have three out of five sets and a different ball as well, there are a lot of variables. But with that being said, it’s still the same player. You have that confidence that you beat him in Indian Wells and you need to take that with you into the match and get ready for a battle.

Rafa is one of the fittest if not the fittest player on Tour and obviously he’s won the most Grand Slam titles of anybody, so he’s going to have a tonne of confidence. But at the same time, Taylor’s coming in with a tonne of confidence on the grass, winning Eastbourne and four straight matches here without losing a set. So I’m just looking forward to it. It’s going to be a good battle and of course I hope Taylor comes out on the other side as the winner.

What’s your message for Taylor going into such a big match?
He has to play aggressively. Taylor plays his best tennis when he’s serving big, playing aggressively and basically taking the racquet out of his opponent’s hand. He’s staying focussed and not getting caught up in playing passively and long rallies. That’s not his game.

Taylor’s spoken so often this year about how his forehand has improved. Why do you think that is? Is it just the mentality of going for it more?
Taylor is definitely feeling more confident in his forehand and he’s going for it more. He’s not worried about going big on the forehand and missing. I think that has a lot to do with why he’s been so successful and also we’ve been putting a lot of hard work in. He’s much fitter, which leads to better movement, better balance, better setups, better agility, and that goes a long way as well. I think it’s a combination of all those factors.

Taylor is always focussed on continuing on and it doesn’t seem like he’d be satisfied just being in the quarter-finals. How do you balance the excitement of this being a great run so far and still wanting to push forward?
It’s important that you keep the player not complacent and just keep striving for more. You make your first quarter-final, which is a great result in a Slam. But at the same time, there’s no reason why you can’t make your first semi-final. There’s no reason you can’t make your first final and so forth.

It’s just continuing to have Taylor believe in himself, and he does have a strong self-belief. It’s just not getting caught up in all the exterior noise that’s around him and just focus on the match at hand.

The Wimbledon quarter-final action rounds out Wednesday when Rafael Nadal, Taylor Fritz, Nick Kyrgios and Cristian Garin take to the lawns at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in pursuit of a final-four spot.

Nadal and Fritz will meet for the first time since their championship match clash at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March. The American ran out a straight-sets winner on that occasion as the Spaniard struggled with a fractured rib, but second seed Nadal has the added motivation of maintaining his perfect Grand Slam record for 2022 as the two face off at the grass-court major.

Kyrgios and Garin each came through five-set thrillers in the fourth round in London, and the pair’s maiden ATP Head2Head meeting sees both players hunting their first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.

ATPTour.com looks at the quarter-final action set for Day 9 in the British capital.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [11] Taylor Fritz (USA)

Nadal’s defeat to Fritz in Indian Wells is one of the few disappointments in what has been a stellar 2022 season for the Spaniard. With a 34-3 match record for the year and four titles including Grand Slam crowns at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, he sees no reason to dwell on his defeat in southern California as he prepares for his eighth Wimbledon quarter-final.

“What I learned [from] that last match [in Indian Wells] was zero, because I had a stress fracture on my rib, and it was difficult to learn many things,” said Nadal after his straight-sets win against Botic van de Zandschulp on Monday. “It’s obvious he [Fritz] is playing at a very, very high level, having a great season, winning matches everywhere. The week before Wimbledon he won the tournament [in Eastbourne]. Now [the] quarter-finals [here].”

In contrast, the 11th-seeded Fritz believes his 6-3, 7-6(5) victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event in March is the perfect template as he attempts to move past the Spaniard to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.

“I was just very aggressive in that match [in Indian Wells],” said Fritz after his dominant straight-sets win against Jason Kubler in the fourth round at SW19. “[I] took my chances. Against someone like Rafa, that’s kind of how it is.

“I feel like decision-making is easy. I don’t really second-guess shots like I would if I’m playing someone that I’m supposed to beat. I might think, ‘Should I go for this, should I play it safe?’ Against someone like Rafa, it’s easy to always make the aggressive decision and kind of play freer.”

Nadal was solid if not spectacular in four-set wins against Francisco Cerundolo and Ricardas Berankis in his opening two rounds at Wimbledon, where the second seed is playing his first tournament of the year on grass. The two-time champion appeared back to his best on the surface during his next two matches, however, notching straight-sets wins against Lorenzo Sonego and van de Zandschulp to ease to the quarter-finals in his first appearance at SW19 since 2019.

“The improvement during the tournament is there,” said Nadal, who is chasing a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title. “Of course, I’m happy to be back in the quarter-finals after three years without playing here. It’s a positive result for me, so [I am] happy for that. Now is the moment to keep doing the steps forward if I want to keep having chances.”

Most Grand Slam Titles

After beginning his grass season with opening defeats in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and at The Queen’s Club, Fritz stormed to his third ATP Tour title in Eastbourne just two days before The Championships began. The American has brought that form with him to the lawns of the All England Club, where he has so far dispatched Lorenzo Musetti, Alastair Gray, Alex Molcan and Kubler without dropping a set.

“It’s so interesting, because three weeks ago it was a low point for me,” said Fritz, who shares a 1-1 ATP Head2Head record with Nadal. “I kept telling myself that I’ll find my tennis. I had to just kind of keep being positive. I was injured, coming back from injury, not playing great. I just remained positive, stuck to the process of working really hard, doing the right things.

“The week of Eastbourne things kind of started clicking for me. Now it is crazy to go from where I was at mentally after Queen’s — feeling injured, I’d just lost three matches in a row. Now I’m in my first Slam quarter-final.”

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs. Cristian Garin (CHI)

A maiden Grand Slam semi-final appearance is on the line for both Kyrgios and Garin as they meet for the first time at tour-level on No. 1 Court. While the Australian has always enjoyed showcasing his big-serving, power-hitting game on the grass, his opponent on Wednesday admits that it it is only recently that he has learned to love the surface.

“Now [my favourite surface] is grass!” joked Garin, who has won all five of his ATP Tour titles on clay, after his marathon five-set fourth-round win against Alex de Minaur. “Our sport is like that. I work hard every day to get better.

“Last year I [reached the fourth round] here, and I think that was a big experience for me. Today, I felt a different match to last year. I know how to play on these courts, and it is very important to me to keep learning, keep improving, and that is why I work hard every day.”

Garin’s triumph on Monday against De Minaur made him just the fourth Chilean man to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. The 26-year-old holds a modest 16-15 record in 2022, including a five-match losing streak from January to March, but his coach Pepe Vendrell has no doubts over his charge’s ability.

“He is a thoroughbred,” Vendrell told ATPTour.com in London. “Garin is a player with huge potential. He’s already proved his quality on tour. When he’s confident, with his A-game, his shots are pure quality.”

The man on the other side of the net on Wednesday certainly knows a thing or two about quality shots. One of the game’s great showmen, Kyrgios has a Tour-leading 11 wins on grass in 2022, two more than Garin has across his career, after semi-final runs in Stuttgart and Halle. If he can make that experience on the surface count on Wednesday, he will be the first Australian male player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam since Lleyton Hewitt at the 2005 US Open.

Most Grass Wins (2022)

Kyrgios will be making his third Grand Slam quarter-final appearance. With a 35-17 career record on grass, the 27-year-old will hope to extend his strong record on the surface as he seeks to break through to a maiden major semi-final in London.

“I look at it as a big opportunity,” said Kyrgios after he outlasted #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima in a five-set thriller in the fourth round on Monday. “Garin is obviously playing great tennis. I walked on Centre Court today seeing the score [was] two-sets-to-love [to] De Minaur. They were in a battle. I was expecting to play Alex, I think Alex is a bit more comfortable on the grass. Then when I walked off the court and I got told it was Garin. It was surprising.

“I look at it as an opportunity, but I need to do so many things before that match to get ready,” said Kyrgios. “I need to rest, recover, eat right, get good sleep. There’s so many things, so many steps before I go out there and compete again.”