LONDON (AFP) – Defending champion Rafael Nadal suffered a major injury scare in his last-16 triumph over Juan Martin del Potro on Monday which threw his Wimbledon future into doubt and boosted his rivals' title chances.
The world number one will undergo a scan on Tuesday after needing a lengthy medical time-out to treat a left foot injury in the first set of his thrilling 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 triumph over the Argentine 24th seed.
"I have to go to do an MRI. I cannot predict the future but I am worried for sure," said the Spaniard.
"I felt really bad at 6-5 in the first set. I thought I had broken my foot. I asked for the trainer when the game was done. I didn't know if I will have the chance to continue playing."
Nadal, who had to have his foot bandaged at 6-6 in the first set, is due to tackle American 10th seed Mardy Fish for a place in the semi-finals.
All four of the men's top seeds made the quarter-finals on Monday.
Number two Novak Djokovic saw off error-plagued Michael Llodra of France 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 while third seed and six-time champion Roger Federer came back to defeat Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Andy Murray, the fourth seed, thrived in the 30-degree heat of the early afternoon to crush French 17th seed Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-2.
Djokovic will face qualifier Bernard Tomic after the 18-year-old Australian became the youngest quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 1986.
"He has great potential and believes he can win against the big players," said Djokovic, who has lost just one of his last 48 matches.
Tomic, the world number 158, reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final by seeing off Belgium's Xavier Malisse, a former semi-finalist, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
Only Becker, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg have made the last eight at a younger age and Tomic is also the first qualifier to reach the last eight since Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000.
"It's an unbelievable achievement. I feel great. It's a great honour to do it here in Wimbledon," said Tomic.
"I never thought I'd be here the second week, especially in the quarter-finals. What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me."
Federer made serene progress through his first three matches without dropping a set, but the third seed was unable to preserve that record against 18th seeded Youzhny, a man he had defeated in all 10 of their previous meetings.
Federer, who last won Wimbledon in 2009, has now reached 29 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals to extend his Open era record and remains on course to equal Pete Sampras's record of seven Wimbledon titles.
"It was a tough first set to lose in the end because I was playing well," said Federer, who will tackle France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight.
"To lose the first set in a Slam is tricky mentally. You think 'Is he going to get a boost and play even better'. It can be quite dangerous so I was pleased to win the second set with two breaks."
Murray, bidding to become Britain's first men's Wimbledon champion since Fred Perry in 1936, reached his fourth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final.
His reward is a last eight clash against Spain's Feliciano Lopez who beat Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot in a five-set marathon.
"I thought it was good - I think I served well, and I got a lot of free points off that," said Murray, who has yet to make a Wimbledon final.
Murray, twice a semi-finalist, also revealed he'd been left red-faced by his unkempt appearance when he was introduced to royal guests Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
"If I'd known they were coming, I would have shaved. I was thinking to myself as I came off I was sweaty and very hairy. I said to them, I'm sorry, I'm a bit sweaty," said the Scotsman.
Lopez, who put out three-time runner-up Andy Roddick in the third round, recovered from two sets to love down to defeat Polish qualifier Kubot 3-6, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 7-5.
"Well, what can I say about Andy? He's a great player. He had an easy win, straight sets today, so he must be very confident," said Lopez.
"But I love the grass. I think the conditions are good for my game."
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