TENNIS /Wimbledon men's round-up:Rafael Nadal survived some hairy moments to see off the challenge of Gilles Muller and progress into the second week of Wimbledon.
The defending champion, facing the man who knocked him out in 2005, could easily have lost the first two sets on tie-breaks as Muller went close to playing or at least serving him off Court One.
But Spaniard Nadal came through both of them, one before the rain that called time on the match yesterday and one today, to move into the fourth round with a 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/5) 6-0 win over the man from Luxembourg.
Nadal will now face the 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Argentinian Del Potro, back on tour and back on song after a lengthy absence with a wrist injury, returned to finish off his clash with Gilles Simon on Court Two having led by a set when the weather turned yesterday.
He did not need too long to do so either, taking the spoils in straight sets 7-6 (10/8) 7-6 (7/5) 7-5.
Roger Federer quickly followed him into the last 16, getting the better of former nemesis David Nalbandian on Centre Court.
With Nalbandian having beaten Federer eight times previously, it promised to be a tough test of the six-time champion’s credentials, but in reality it was anything but.
Federer was close to his majestic best as he swept through 6-4 6-2 6-4.
Novak Djokovic survived a second-set wobble as he reached the fourth round with a thrilling victory over spirited challenger Marcos Baghdatis on Centre Court.
The second seed started off in the same way he had beaten his first two opponents, reeling off some clinical tennis before gaining a vital break to win the first set.
The Serbian then lost his way in the second, smashing his racquet in anger as Baghdatis hit back in style to take the second set the first Djokovic had lost in the tournament.
That proved only to be a blip, however, as Djokovic regained his composure to win the match 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4 and set up a last-16 clash with 16th seed Michael Llodra.
The number nine seed, Gael Monfils, was a surprise casualty as he lost to Poland’s Lukasz Kubot. The match resumed at one set all today but two 6-3 successes saw Kubot over the line.
Last year’s runner-up Tomas Berdych continued his quiet but impressive progress, needing an hour and 43 minutes to beat Alex Bogomolov Jr 6-2 6-4 6-3.
That result left Mardy Fish, who beat Robin Haase after the Dutchman was forced to retire injured, as the last American standing.
Teenage sensation Bernard Tomic spared fifth seed Robin Soderling no sympathy as he stormed to the greatest victory of his career and into the fourth round.
Soderling complained to the umpire that he was feeling unwell but Australian Tomic was ruthless, tearing through the Swede’s game to win the first set in just 17 minutes.
The 18-year-old world number 158 had to work harder as the match went on but he closed out a comprehensive 6-1 6-4 7-5 victory to complete the biggest shock of this year’s men’s draw.
Tomic will meet Belgium’s Xavier Malisse after he dumped out 11th seed Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0, while Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer beat Slovakia’s Karol Beck 6-4 6-3 6-3.