Nadal falls as Murray, Federer go through

Defending champion Andy Murray reached a 10th successive Wimbledon quarterfinal match yesterday.

By contrast, Rafael Nadal's challenge for a third Wimbledon crown ended in heart-breaking fashion as relentless Luxembourger Gilles Muller won a nerve-jangling fourth-round classic 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 15-13.

Top-seed Murray eased to a 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 6-4 win over France's Benoit Paire, who was trying to make the last eight for the first time.

World No1 Murray will face Sam Querrey, whom he leads 7-1 in career meetings, for a place in the semifinals.

Murray's win meant that with Johanna Konta also making the last-eight in the women's tournament, it is the first time since 1973 that Britain has two players in the quarterfinals.

Evergreen Swiss Roger Federer kept his quest for a record eighth Wimbledon crown on track, dispatching Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-2 6-4 in a match-up of classic styles that had the purists purring.

Novak Djokovic's fourth- round match against France's Adrian Mannarino was postponed after the marathon battle between Nadal and Muller concluded late yesterday.

Djokovic was due to follow Nadal on Court Number One but the Spaniard's defeat to Muller lasted four hours 47 minutes and made it impossible for the Serb's match to be completed before dark.