Nadal edges into quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal came from two sets down for only the third time in his career to book his place in the quarter-finals and finally catch up in the draw with Roger Federer.

The 21-year-old Spaniard was the last man to get past the third round and, for an hour and a half, looked like being the first to go out at the fourth-round stage after losing the first two sets to an inspired Mikhail Youzhny.

Packed off to the 'champions' graveyard' just 24 hours after accusing the All England Club of not caring about its players, he almost got his comeuppance as Youzhny produced flawless tennis for the first two sets.

But the Russian 14th seed faded badly after needing treatment for a recurrence of a lower-back injury and Nadal seized on his opportunity to secure a 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 victory to set up a quarter-final with seventh seed Tomas Berdych.

After needing 92 hours to see off Robin Soderling in his last match, another long, drawn-out affair was the last thing the world number two needed as he attempts to reach a second successive final.

This one lasted a shade over three hours, a 100-metre sprint in comparison to his marathon with Soderling, and Nadal spent most of it brooding.

Youzhny, one of only three men to beat the Spaniard in the last 12 months, allowed Nadal just one point from his first three service games.

The first hint of a break did not come until the seventh game when the Spaniard came from 40-0 down to force the first deuce and he was the first to concede a break, putting a forehand wide to end the best rally of the match as Youzhny clinched the opening set.

The 25-year-old Russian maintained his concentration during a brief stoppage in the second game of the second set when a spectator needed attention to force a second break point.

He prevailed in a prolonged baseline rally to break the Spaniard for a second time and consolidated to open up a 3-0 lead.

Rain briefly looked like disrupting the impressive Russian's flow and providing relief for Nadal but the theat passed and Youzhny continued to dominate the rallies.

Youzhny was immaculate on his serve, denying his opponent a single break point, and he duly wrapped up the second set.

The predictable fightback began in the second game of the third set when a trademark backhand shot down the line forced his first break point of the match and Youzhny revealed the first sign of pressure when he double-faulted for only the fourth time.

The Russian showed more signs of frailty when he dropped his serve for a second time as Nadal, visibly growing with confidence, served out to take the set 6-1.

Youzhny, clearly below his best in the third set, called for a medical time-out before the start of the next set to have treatment for the back injury that forced his withdrawal from Halle last month and he needed another massage after the fifth game.

By then he was a break down after dropping his serve in the third game in which he expressed his disapproval of a crucial over-rule.

The match quickly ran away from the Russian, who has never been beyond the fourth round in seven attempts, and when he netted a forehand on break point in his next service game, he looked a disillusioned man.

Nadal moved in for the kill, serving out the fourth set 6-2 to level the match.

Youzhny was in freefall by then and was easily broken in the third game of the deciding set.

He put up some resistance in his next two service games and saved one match point in the seventh game - but Nadal was simply unstoppable.