THE eighth day of Wimbledon saw a mixed bag of wins, each game never failing to surprise and delight tennis fans. Although a rising star of the game retired from her match due to medical reasons, all other games were played out to the end as eight players remain in the Wimbledon singles draw.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu had just finished a close opening set with Ajla Tomlijanovic but made headlines when she was forced to bow out of her match retiring for medical reasons and gifting the Aussie the win. Tomlijanovic, who was yet to visit the last eight of a grand-slam, now progresses onto the next stage of the competition where she is to face her Australian counterpart Ash Barty.

“I’m unbelievably proud of myself that I’m here,” Tomlijanovic said. “I didn’t think I would be, in a way. I didn’t think these two weeks would be my breakthrough. Now that they are, it’s kind of surreal. It just puts everything into perspective. No matter the outcome tomorrow, I’m probably never going to forget this.”

The world number one had an impressive run during her match against Czech player Barbora Krejcikova, as she keeps her Wimbledon hopes alive. Barty dashed the Czech’s 15-match winning streak and claimed the win 7-5 6-3. The Australian hit seven aces amidst her match with the Roland Garros champion.

“In a sense of being in the quarters, I’m happy. I’m excited. It’s another stepping stone for me,” Barty said. “It’s another first, I suppose. It’s kind of going to be a new situation, a new scenario, one that I’m going to look forward to.

Also progressing to the next stage of the competition is Angelique Kerber, who remains the only player in the final eight to have won a title before. The German star utilised her experience to knock 17-year-old Coco Gauff out of Wimbledon 6-4 6-4. Kerber, who was a previous finalist at The Championships back in 2016 and the winner in 2018, powered through the tightly contested matchup and finished with 22 winners and 20 unforced errors.

“I think it was a good match,” Kerber said. “It’s never easy to play against someone who you never played, especially against someone like Coco. She is really a young player who I think has a really nice and great future and career in front of her.

“I was trying to be focused, trying to play my game. Going forward if I had the chances, especially in the second set, middle of the second set, then closing the match with my serve.”

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic came out with the win against opponent Madison Keys 7-6 6-3. Karolina Muchova and Karolina Pliskova also had success in their matchups. Muchova secured her place in the quarter-final defeating Spain’s Paula Badosa 7-6 6-4 and Pliskova won against Russian professional Ludmilla Samsonova 6-2 6-3. Elena Rybakina defeated Barbora Krejcikova from the Czech Republic 7-5 6-3 and Iga Swiatek fell short of the win against Ons Jabeur 5-7 6-1 6-1.

WIMBLEDON ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

Ajla Tomlijanovic (AUS) defeated Emma Raducanu (GBR) 6-3 4-0
Angelique Kerber (GER) defeated Coco Gauff (USA) 6-4 6-4
Viktorija Golubic (SWI) defeated Madison Keys (USA) 7-6 6-3
Karolina Muchova (CRO) defeated Paula Badosa (SPA) 7-6 6-4
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) defeated Ludmilla Samsonova (RUS) 6-2 6-3
Ash Barty (AUS) defeated Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 7-5 6-3
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated Aryna Sabalenka (BEL) 6-3 4-6 6-3
Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated Iga Swiatek (POL) 5-7 6-1 6-1

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