The first of today’s quarter-finals was number 1 seed Alex de Minaur versus Brandon Nakashima. There wasn’t a single break point until the very end of the first set when Nakashima took his chance and converted to win the set 7-5 and take the lead in the match. Nakashima put up a good defence in the second set when De Minaur seemed to have the edge. The American again broke at the right time to set himself up to serve for the match at 5-3. The number 1 seed had break point to keep himself in it but he couldn’t turn it around and as a consequence he then faced two match points. Nakashima was clinical in a match of fine margins and converted 2/2 break points to win in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
Next, we had last night’s encounter between Hamad Medjedovic and Ugo Humbert to finish. This match resumed with the final set. There were no breaks of serve and we went to a tie break. Humbert got himself three match points and made it count with the last chance to complete his comeback and win the match 2-6, 7-6, 7-6.
On to the next quarter-final, and Francisco Cerundolo took on local boy Arthur Fery. In the first set, with the crowd on his side, Fery went a break up to serve for the set but he wasn’t able to see it out and they went to a tie-break. Cerundolo put in a very commanding tie-break performance to go 6-0 up and win it 7-1. Three breaks of serve decided the second set. Cerundolo struck first, getting the break in game one, but this wasn’t decisive as his opponent responded to get things back on serve and then took control to win the set 6-3. In the final set, it was Fery who broke early but this time Cerundolo replied. The set stayed on serve until the final game when Cerundolo pounced again to win it in three, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4, after two and a half hours on court.
The final match on Centre Court was Tommy Paul up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The first set was dominant from Paul as he wrapped it up 6-3 in under half an hour. Davidovich raised his level in the second set and it was a much closer affair that went to a tie break. The Spaniard did get himself ahead in this but Paul was playing some brilliant points and hitting so well from the baseline. Tommy Paul won the tie-break 7-4 to complete a straight sets victory and book himself into the semi-finals.
The last quarter-final between Ugo Humbert and Rinky Hijikata was moved to court one. Humbert, despite already playing earlier in the day, came out firing and put on a dominant display to win the first set 6-1. Humbert took the initiative again in the second set to once again break serve early on. The Frenchman served brilliantly and finished the match in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
**Image is Getty images for LTA**