Il Messaggiere - Nadal tires of Wimbledon body talk as Halep, Rybakina make semis

In Nadal's last-16 clash against Botic van de Zandschulp, the 36-year-old had strapping across his abdomen.

Only last month, he won a 14th French Open with his troublesome left foot anaesthetised.

"I'm a little bit tired to talk about my body, all the issues that I am having," said 22-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal, who has never lost a Wimbledon quarter-final.

"I prefer to not talk about that now. For the moment I am healthy enough to keep going and fight for the things that I want."

As Nadal prepared to tackle Taylor Fritz in his quarter-final, 2019 champion Simona Halep and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina set up a clash for a place in the women's final.

Halep, the 2019 champion, said she was playing her "best tennis" after comfortably reaching her third semi-final at the All England Club with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Amanda Anisimova of the United States.

"Definitely this is my best tennis," said the Romanian, who missed last year's Wimbledon with a calf injury.

"I am trying to build my confidence back, and it's good."

Halep has yet to drop a set at this year's tournament as she targets a third major title, having also won the 2018 French Open.

Russian-born Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach a Grand Slam semi-final when she defeated Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

"It is amazing. I am really happy to be into the semi-final. It was a really tough match," said the 23-year-old Moscow-born player.

Rybakina switched nationality in 2018. This year Russian and Belarusian players are banned from Wimbledon following the invasion of Ukraine.

- Nadal Slam dream -

Nadal is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.

In-form Fritz is in the last eight of a Slam for the first time and has yet to drop a set. He warmed up for Wimbledon by claiming the grasscourt title at Eastbourne.

The 24-year-old defeated Nadal in the Indian Wells Masters final earlier this year when the Spaniard was suffering from a cracked rib.

That defeat ended his 20-match win streak and forced him to take a six-week rest before the clay court season.

Waiting in the semi-final will be either Australian Nick Kyrgios or Chile's Cristian Garin.

Despite the presence of Nadal and six-time champion Novak Djokovic in the draw, Kyrgios has arguably been the headline act.

He is back in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time since 2014, when he made a mockery of his 144 world ranking to stun Nadal.

The 27-year-old has taken his aces count past the 100 mark and hit a total of 257 winners over four rounds.

He has also been involved in plenty of controversy. Kyrgios was described as a "bully" with an "evil side" by third-round rival Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"I sit here now in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there's so many people that are so upset," Kyrgios said.

The 40th-ranked player will go into Wednesday's match just a day after reports emerged in Australia that he faces a court appearance next month on an allegation of assault.

Garin, ranked 43, saved two match points to beat Australia's Alex de Minaur in a gruelling last-16 tie, which lasted four hours and 34 minutes.

Defending champion Djokovic and Britain's Cameron Norrie will meet in the other men's semi-final.

Women's world number two Ons Jabeur and unseeded Tatjana Maria made sure of their semi-final places on Tuesday.

C.P.Ajello--IM