After the ladies quarter-finals day, the men’s quarter-finals day of the Wimbledon 2018 is here. Three of the biggest stars of tennis -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic will be in action on Day 9 of the Championships, making it an absolute treat for fans.
The top seed and defending champion Federer faces last year’s US Open runner-up Kevin Anderson in his quest for a record ninth title on these hallowed grounds. If he is successful, he will become the only man in history to accomplish that feat and the second overall after the legendary Martina Navratilova.
Federer has all the reasons to feel hungrier and more motivated since Anderson is a player he has a 4-0 winning record against.
This year Nadal has reached the quarter-finals of the grasscourt Major for the first time in seven years, signalling an already successful campaign for the 11-time French Open champion in recent times. Ever since losing the 2011 final to Djokovic, the Spaniard struggled for the next few years and suffered defeats to big-servers.
He faces another big-server in Juan Martin del Potro as he closes in on a third title at SW19. This could be Nadal’s first big test, although the 2009 US Open champion has lost his last two Grand Slam meetings to the Spaniard.
Djokovic, who is making a comeback after elbow surgery, takes on Kei Nishikori. The two had a fascinating encounter on the claycourts of Rome in May, which the 12-time Major winner won from a set down.
There could be another blockbuster showdown in store for the fans.
The fourth quarter-final will be a battle of gigantic servers. Milos Raonic knows these courts too well, having been the runner-up in 2016. The resurgent Canadian also reached the final at Stuttgart in the build-up to Wimbledon and would be looking to get a win against John Isner.
Here is all the information you need to know about the important matches on Day 9:
Centre Court (play starts at 1pm local time/5.30 pm IST)
N. Djokovic (SRB) (12) v K. Nishikori (JPN) (24)
Followed by
J. Del Potro (ARG) (5) v R. Nadal (ESP) (2)
No. 1 Court (play starts at 1pm local time/5.30 pm IST)
R. Federer (SUI) (1) v K. Anderson (RSA) (8)
Followed by
M. Raonic (CAN) (13) v J. Isner (USA) (9)
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