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Wimbledon Day 8 recap: Two former champions crash out on Centre Court

On Day 8 at Wimbledon, former champions Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova lost in stunning fashion, while Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka set up an all-Swiss quarterfinal.
Courtney Nguyen|
Wimbledon Day 8 recap: Two former champions crash out on Centre Court
Wimbledon Day 8 recap: Two former champions crash out on Centre Court

LONDON -- It took an extra day due to the rain, but the quarterfinals are all set at Wimbledon (and even one of the women's semifinals -- Petra Kvitova takes on Lucie Safarova in an all-Czech matchup on Thursday), and they don't include Maria Sharapova or Rafael Nadal. 

What happened?

There will be an all-Swiss quarterfinal: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka will face off in the quarterfinals after both booked their spots without losing a set. Federer, who hasn't been broken through four matches, avenged his loss at the U.S. Open to Tommy Robredo by beating him 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. Wawrinka bested the streaking Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7), 6-3. Were the two in a rush? Possibly. A few hours after his win Federer was on the couch stressing out about Swiss soccer:

Watch: Kyrgios hits mind-blowing shot against Nadal at Wimbledon

​Champions fell on Centre Court: Centre Court was the graveyard of Champions, as No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 5 Maria Sharapova bit the dust in two dramatic matches. Sharapova was the first to go, losing in three sets after putting up another gritty fight against Angelique Kerber. The 2004 champion saved six match points before losing 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4. But the upset of the day belonged to No. 144 Nick Kyrgios. The 19-year-old Australian wild card advanced to the quarterfinal in his Wimbledon debut by blasting No. 1 Rafael Nadal off the court, winning 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3. 

Three thoughts on Rafael Nadal's loss to Nick Kyrgios, 19, at Wimbledon

Sabine Lisicki's scored a controversial win: The German advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Yaroslava Shvedova, but a mid-game medical timeout early dominated conversation after the match. Down a break point at 1-all in the third, Lisicki chose to take a medical timeout to address a shoulder twinge that she felt earlier in the game. After the stoppage, Shvedova proceeded to hit three unforced errors and Lisicki held. After the match, Lisicki said she felt a twinge in her shoulder after she hit a shot in that third game, but chose to play a few more points until calling for the stoppage. But instead of calling the timeout when she had game point, she held off until she was down in the scoreline. It was a questionable decision that raised a few calls of gamesmanship. Tennis really needs to revisit the medical timeout rule. 

There will be a Czech in the women's final: Petra Kvitova is the only woman left in the draw who has won a Grand Slam. She beat fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1, 7-5 to advance to her first semifinal at Wimbledon since she won the title in 2011. She'll play her Fed Cup teammate Lucie Safarova, who's playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal after a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ekaterina Makarova. 

Milos Raonic celebrated Canada Day: The Canadian's consistency at Grand Slams continues as he beat Kei Nishikori for the first time in three tries to advance to his first Wimbledon quarterfinal. Raonic will play Kyrgios on Wednesday.

Serena retires from Wimbledon doubles match in bizarre scene

​Serena Williams played an ... interesting doubles match: Serena, who lost in the third round to Alize Cornet, looked dazed during the warmups for her doubles match with sister Venus, causing a rise in concern. She consulted with a doctor before starting the match, but proceeded to start the match. When she came up to serve, Serena hit four straight double faults. Down 0-3, the Williamses retired from the match, and later issued a statement that said Serena was suffering from a viral illness. 

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Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.

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