Wimbledon 2013 | Andy Murray v Fernando Verdasco July 3, 2013

Fernando Verdasco accepts that he will have his work cut out to deny Andy Murray a Wimbledon semi-final berth – but insists he is not just going along for the ride.

Currently unseeded Spaniard saw off Frenchman Kenny De Schepper 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in an all left-handed clash on Court Three to reach the last eight at SW19 for the first time on his 11th appearance. But the 29-year-old clay court specialist accepts he will be a big underdog against second seed and home favourite Murray when they meet in their last eight showdown with the Scot boasting an 8-1 head-to-head record. ‘I’m going to go out there and try to do my game like I did every match and like I try to do every match that I play,’ said Verdasco, who is now joint-second on the list for the most attempts before reaching the quarters at the All England Club.

Wimbledon 2013 | Andy Murray v Fernando Verdasco July 3, 2013

Wimbledon 2013 | Andy Murray v Fernando Verdasco July 3, 2013

Andy Murray shows all the qualities of a true champion ‘I know is going to be, of course, a tough match. He’s No. 2 of the Wimbledon, a great player, one of the best in the last few years on tour. ‘Of course it is going to be difficult to beat him also with the crowd and everything but you need to have faith and try your best to try to win.’


Verdasco, who warmed up for Wimbledon by reaching the quarter-finals at Eastbourne, revealed he is on good terms with World No.2 Murray, but that will count for nothing when they face off on Wednesday ‘Yeah I have a good relationship with Andy. I mean, I know him for many years. He was practicing in Spain when he was younger,’ he added. ‘We always had a good relationship out of the court and on the court also. We played many times. It was never a problem, ‘But when you are out there, you try to win, he try to win, everybody try to win. ‘But this my first quarters.

I’m happy to be here and happy how I have played the whole tournament. Of course, is going to be a special match because it is going to be against Murray here in Wimbledon in quarterfinals, but it is going to be just one more match for me.’

Wimbledon 2013 | Novak Djokovic v Tomas Berdych July 3, 2013

Novak Djokovic tackles Tomas Berdych for a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals Wednesday still feeling the pain of his lost against the Czech at the All England Club three years ago.

World number one Novak Djokovic was beaten in straight sets in the semi-finals by Tomas Berdych in 2010, a defeat which raised serious doubts over whether or not the gifted but unpredictable Serb would ever build on his Australian Open breakthrough of 2008.

He lost that match but has since has gone on to win five more majors including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns in 2011.

"Yes, I had quite a turbulent five, six months of 2010 but the semi-finals of Wimbledon came in the right time for me because I felt that was like a springboard for me," said Novak Djokovic.

Wimbledon 2013 | Novak Djokovic v Tomas Berdych July 3, 2013

"From that moment on everything started going uphill really."

Not that Djokovic, who boasts a 13-2 winning record against Berdych will be taking anything for granted.

"I hadn't played great at that match against Tomas, but credit to him because he played finals that year, and he beat Roger and myself, played a good match against Rafa in the final. So he knows how to play on grass. That's the only time we played on this surface. I'm expecting a difficult match."

Djokovic reached his 17th successive Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over German veteran Tommy Haas.

But with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both suffering shock early defeats, he is taking nothing for granted against Berdych.

"It's the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. He's an established top 5, top 10 player in the world.

"But I feel good about myself in this moment. I think I actually play better tennis on grass than I played two years ago when I won this tournament. For now I'm feeling good. I'm No. 1 of the world. I have no reason to be concerned about my game."

World number 2 Andy Murray insists he can cope with the burden of shouldering growing expectations that he will finally end the 77-year wait for a British man to win Wimbledon.

Murray was in commanding form once again as he swept into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Russian 20th seed Mikhail Youzhny.

The second seed has yet to drop a set in his first four matches and looked more at ease than ever in the All England Club spotlight as he prepares for a last eight clash with Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.

Losing to Federer in last year's Wimbledon final provoked a tearful response from Murray.

But, after winning the US Open and an Olympic gold at Wimbledon, the 26-year-old has appeared increasingly in command of his emotions both on and off court.

"There's always pressure coming into this event and it builds with each match," said Murray as he continues his bid to become his country's first men's champion at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

"But I've dealt with it well over my career. I've played well at Wimbledon. It's been consistently my best slam over the course of my career."

Wimbledon 2013 | Novak Djokovic v Tomas Berdych July 3, 2013

Murray, playing in his sixth successive Grand Slam quarter-final, is the heavy favourite to reach a second successive final.

If he gets past Verdasco, against whom he has an 8-1 winning record, then he will face either Jerzy Janowicz or Lukasz Kubot with the two Polish Davis Cup teammates meeting in the other quarter-final in his side of the draw. Janowicz, the 24th seed, defeated Austria's Jurgen Melzer, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on the back of 16 aces and 34 winners as he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

The 22-year-old was joined in the last eight just moments later by 31-year-old Kubot, the lowest-ranked player left at 130 in the world, who defeated France's 111th-ranked Adrian Mannarino, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The last Pole to reach the last-eight at Wimbledon was Wojtek Fibak in 1980. "It's unbelievable what is going on right now. We have two players in the quarter-finals and a woman in the quarter-finals. I think this is by far the best that possibly could happen to Polish tennis," said Janowicz.

Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer reached the quarter-finals for the second successive year by firing 53 winners in his 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-1 win over Croatia's unseeded Ivan Dodig. He goes on to tackle Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro who reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi, the 23rd seeded Italian.