Rafael Nadal books eighth Wimbledon quarter-final with straight-sets win

Rafael Nadal’s bid for a remarkable 23rd Grand Slam title remained firmly on track as he booked a quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz.

The 36-year-old, who has already won the Australian Open and French Open this year, blew away Botic van de Zandschlup in straight sets to move into the last eight.

And further down the line, he could meet Nick Kyrgios in a mouthwatering semi-final before a possible showdown with old foe Novak Djokovic in the final.

There is a lot of tennis to be played before those scenarios materialise but few would bet against Nadal going all the way when he is in this sort of form.

Zandschlup, seeded 21, barely laid a glove on the Spaniard, who would become the oldest winner of the Wimbledon men’s singles title in the modern era if he triumphs on Sunday.

Considering his injury concerns over recent years and the miles on his clock, Nadal looks in fantastic shape.

If anything, he showed greater mobility than a player who was ten years his junior, winning 6-4, 6-2, 7-6.

Nadal has only two Wimbledon titles amongst his 22 Grand Slams – and the last of those came in 2010 – but it would be a brave man or woman who backed against him collecting a third.

There were few alarms against Zandschlup, who did manage to break Nadal’s serve a couple of times in the third set but, generally, looked pretty overawed.

Nadal, of course, is a veteran on this Centre Court stage and shows the same level of commitment as he did when he first stepped out on it all those years ago.

Of all Nadal’s qualities, the fact that he plays each point as though it might be the deciding point is probably his strongest one.

Even when he hit a simple cross-court winner when cruising midway through the match, there was a violent fist-pump delivered while on his haunches.

And, as usual, there was that look of fierce determination, that steely focus which unnerves opponents.

Next up is Fritz, the 24-year-old American who has beaten Nadal on one of the two occasions they met.

He will have to be in some form to make it two out of three.

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