Wimbledon Day 8: 5 Players Reach First Wimbledon Quarterfinals

Emotions were high during the eighth day of Wimbledon as five players made their first Wimbledon quarterfinals, although the night ended on a somber note following Grigor Dimitrov's retirement on Centre Court.

Flavio Cobolli and Liudmila Samsonova join the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time in their careers, while Mirra Andreeva, Belinda Bencic, and Ben Shelton hope to achieve another Grand Slam semifinal after semifinal success in other majors.

Mirra Andreeva v. Belinda Bencic

It's a battle for a first Wimbledon semifinal between these two.

Andreeva overcame an in-form Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3 to make her second major quarterfinal. The 18-year-old is the youngest woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Maria Sharapova in 2005, all without dropping a set.

It was a dream debut on Centre Court for Andreeva, who played with Roger Federer watching her from the Royal Box. His appearance didn't seem to faze the Russian as she controlled the pace of the match from the start with long rallies, running Navarro across the court to prevent her from taking passing shots from either corner of the court.

"She's a very consistent and aggressive player, so I knew that she probably would try to use it against me on court," Andreeva said. "I just try to be patient. But at the same time, as soon as I have an opportunity to step in and be aggressive myself, I try to do it."

Bencic, although not having as straightforward a path to the quarters as Andreeva, also came through her fourth round match in straight sets. She defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 6-4 after losing to her a little over a week ago in Bad Homburg.

She nearly lost focus after failing to convert five match points at 5-3 in the second set, but an unforced forehand error from Alexandrova two games later clinched the match in Bencic's favor.

This is Bencic's second Grand Slam appearance since becoming a mom in April 2024, her first advancing past the fourth round.

"I am surprised," Bencic said of her return. "I felt like I came back earlier than I expected from myself. I'm also surprised by how fast the results are coming. I think it's really a result of the work we've put in and also the mindset that I have now."

Ben Shelton v. Jannik Sinner

It's "business as usual" for Shelton as he advanced to his third Grand Slam quarterfinals, his first at the All English Lawn Club.

The American fought back from a set down to defeat Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1), 7-5 in a thrilling match on No. 1 Court. Shelton is familiar with the demands of high-pressure matches in the later stages of major tournaments. He's made the second round of a slam at six of the 11 Grand Slams he's played in.

Relying on a massive serve and crowd momentum, Shelton knows how to work a match to his advantage, especially if he's down a set. His quality of play was on display as Shelton overcame Sonego for a second time in a major this year, the first coming after a five-setter a few weeks earlier at Roland Garros.

"It wasn't easy," Shelton said. "A little bit difficult conditions I'm sure as everyone could see watching the tennis today. It wasn't as straightforward. A lot of things that I'm proud of myself the way that I handled that match, winning in four sets, and some things I definitely want to do better on moving forward the rest of the tournament."

Shelton will face World No. 1 Sinner in the quarters, who advanced after Dimitrov retired with a pectoral injury. Heartbreaking scenes emerged on Centre Court as Dimitrov took to his serve at 2-2 in the third set, leading Sinner two sets to love before attempting a serve that had him clutching his chest and fall to the ground.

"I don't take this as a win at all," Sinner said on-court after the match. "This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us."

Iga Świątek v. Liudmila Samsonova

Świątek impressive run on grass continues with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Clara Tauson to advance to her second Wimbledon quarterfinals.

The eighth seed had a bit of a nervous start before quickly finding her game, hitting four aces and converting five of the nine break points she had against Tauson. The Dane's serve was her biggest weakness, only making 44% of her first serves with just one ace.

Tauson spoke on how illness impacted her game, saying she lacked power in her legs and arm to keep the speed of her serve in the court. Świątek isn't one to go easy on an opponent when they're down, and she quickly took advantage in the second set.

"I felt this year that I could really develop as a player, and I'm doing the job no matter what the results are going to be," Świątek said. "I feel like I'm doing a great job at just learning how to play on grass. It's the first time I feel comfortable."

The Pole is now the youngest player since Maria Sharapova in 2008 to reach 12 Grand Slam quarterfinals. She will meet Samsonova next. The 19th seed made her first Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Samsonova was the third-highest WTA player who had not advanced to a major quarterfinal prior to her win yesterday.

It's been years in the making, having taken down top-ranked players like Madison Keys in years past to capture a grass-court title in Berlin. Samsonova chose not to find out her next opponent until Tuesday night, a consistent habit that helps her mentality ahead of her matches.

Flavio Cobolli v. Novak Djokovic

Amidst the hype surrounding Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, another young Italian star emerges on tour.

Cobolli is set to break into the Top 20 after making it to his first Wimbledon quarterfinals with a four set win over Marin Cilic. His father and brother were in tears following the win, and although Cobolli kept his composure, the significance of his achievement was not lost on him.

"I always dreamed to be here, to play this tournament," Cobolli said in his on-court interview. "You cannot imagine my emotions right now because I always start to play tennis because of this kind of match, this kind of tournament...It's a moment I cannot forget."

The 23-year-old Italian has risen quickly through the ranks over the past few months after winning his first two ATP titles in Bucharest and Hamburg in April and May, respectively.

It's a rise that brings him to face seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Wednesday to play for a place in the semifinals.

Djokovic won his 101st match at Wimbledon with his four set victory over Alex de Minaur. He advances to his eighth consecutive quarter-final at the All English Lawn Club after going down 1-6 in the first set. He made up for the loss by winning 6-4, 6-4 in the next two sets before going down again in the fourth.

Everyone should know better than to question the 38-year-old's stamina by this point in his career. He battled back from 0-3 down in the fourth to clinch the match, winning the fourth 6-4. And he did it all in front of one of his greatest rivals on Centre Court.

"It's probably the first time he's watching me, and I won the match," Djokovic said of Federer watching his match. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse."

The second day of Wimbledon quarterfinals begin on Wednesday. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all your tennis news from the tennis court and beyond.

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