Day nine commentary

A detailed look back at the ninth day of this year's Wimbledon.

2100 That's all the major action done for the day - just some junior matches remain on court. So join us again tomorrow. Play will start at 1200, with the ladies' singles due on Centre Court at 1300.

2058 The first sees Huber net with a volley but the second is taken. Murray and Huber win 6-4 7-5 to knock out the second seeds. They are into the last four and Murray is just two wins away from defending his title. Good news to end the day for Britain.

2057 A netted return from Chuang and it's three match points to Murray and Huber.

2056 It's Huber to serve and she immediately finds two good serves to open a 30-0 lead.

2055 Play is still taking place around the grounds and we'll now focus on Jamie Murray's mixed doubles clash. And the news is that Murray and Huber are about to serve for the match at 6-5 in the second set having just broken.

2053 Andreas Egli, the supervisor, come on to court and holds a discussion with the players about the fading light, which isn't bad and certainly incomparable to what it was like in Murray-Gasquet on Monday. However, the decision is taken to halt play. They will come back tomorrow to finish off.

2051 Clement strikes at just the right time. He brings up two break points at 15-40 and then rips a backhand cross-court to take the set 7-5. One set all.

2047 Clement puts his trademark sunglasses back on and holds for 6-5, punching the air with delight. Can Schuettler takes this into a tie-break?

2046 Murray and Huber have got the second set of their mixed clash back on serve. Huber is now serving at 3-4.

2044 Reaction from Andy Murray is now in. "He (Nadal) played so much better than me," he concedes. "I didn't feel like I played my best. Reegardless, he was playing too well for me. His forehand is ridiculous. He's hitting so many balls close to the line. In the past, when I've played against him, I've felt I had a chance to dictate the rallies early on." That certainly wasn't the case today. A spot-on assessment that, I'd say.

2042 Schuettler produces a solid hold for 5-5. A tie-break looks on the cards here.

2037 A confident hold to 15 for Clement, the reigning men's doubles champion in SW19. At 145, he's the lowest ranked player to reach the last eight at Wimbledon since Alexander Popp in 2003. Schuettler must now hold serve to stay alive. 4-5.

2035 The tight nature of this singles clash continues. Schuettler levels at 4-4. The German will have to win this set if this match is to stand any chance of finishing tonight.

2032 Bad news for Jamie Murray. He and Huber are now 3-1 down in the second set having won the first against Nestor and Chuang.

2030 Clement has now moved 4-3 ahead on Court One. This second set has been a real battle with numerous games going to deuce. The winner will have the dubious pleasure of facing Nadal in the semis.

2025 A chance to look back at Federer's reaction to his win over Mario Ancic today - and the news is he's had a frightening warning for his rivals. He said: "I'll have a chance to win this tournament for the next five or 10 years. I think my game's made for grass. There will always be tough opponents, dangerous opponents. That has been the case for the last years, as well. But I found a way to win always. Of course my dream is to not only win this year, but many more years to come." Federer winning here in 2018? That's a frightening thought, but probably not realistic. He'll be 36 by then. What do you think? You can let us know by emailing: andy.schooler@bskyb.com. We'd also like to hear your views on Murray-Nadal. What does the future hold for Murray now? And can Nadal end Federer's reign here this year?

2022 We'll now focus on Schuettler and Clement, the last men's singles quarter-final to be decided. That's out on Court One where Schuettler took the first set 6-3 but Clement has just held to lead 3-2 in the second.

2020 While it's been a bad day for one Murray brother, things are going well for the other. Jamie and Liezel Huber have taken the first set of their mixed doubles quarter-final 6-4 against Nestor and Chuang.

2017 While Murray was nothing better than average, Nadal says his performance was "my best match here for sure". He says he was surprised to win in straight sets and added Murray "probably felt a little bit tired" after his four-hour win on Monday night. That certainly looked the case, so perhaps those fitness doubts will surface again. However, you have to rememeber this was the first time Murray was looking to back up such a comeback. He'll learn from today, that's for sure. Nadal feels Murray "will be in the top five very soon" so all is not lost. Well beaten today, but against a player as good as Nadal it is no disgrace.

2015 Murray will be disappointed with his display today, but Nadal looked pretty awesome and certainly looks in the sort of nick which will trouble Roger Federer in the final if they meet on Sunday. After their performances today, you just can't see anyone touching them in the semis.

2014 Murray was well beaten today, of that there is no doubt. The major factor was that he was unable to threaten Nadal's serve at all. He won just nine points on it in the match and failed to face a break point.

2011 Murray goes just long on the first match point and it's over. The British number one has been handed a real lesson today by a wonderful display from the Spaniard. Nadal wins 6-3 6-2 6-4.

2010 Nadal hits the tape on the next point but then puts away a smash to make it 40-15 and bring up two match points.

2009 Murray goes long and then dumps a forehand into the net. 30-0 and in a deep, deep hole.

2006 Murray has at least made Nadal serve it out. A crunching forehand from Nadal matters little as Murray gets to a drop shot on the next point to take the game. Now he needs to break. He did so against Gasquet when he needed to on Monday. Can he repeat the feat?

2003 A hold to 15 takes Nadal to within one game of the semi-finals. Over on Court One, Clement has changed his bandana to a yellow one and has broken straight back against Schuettler. It's 1-1 in the second set.

1959 Oh dear. Murray dumps the ball into the net again - this time on break point down. It's now 4-3 Nadal and the Murray bid looks all but over. He's yet to force a break point. Unless he does so in the next two Nadal service games, he's out.

1957 A superb forehand from behind the baseline from Nadal has the crowd in awe and he fights back from 40-15 down to deuce.

1954 A fourth ace of the match from Nadal sees him level the third set at 3-3. Again he holds to love.

1952 An early break for Schuettler and he looks in control against Clement at the moment. He leads by a set and a break.

1949 Murray manages to hold to lead 3-2. 'Fight' Murray shouts as he walks to the chair. Nadal remains in command though and about the only positive thing I can say is that Murray was just about hanging in there in the third set against Gasquet the other night then all of sudden he broke for the first time and things turned right around. Can it happen again? It seems unlikely but you never know.

1948 Murray saves another break point after a baseline exchange. That gets him pumping the fist for about the first time today. Meanwhile, Schuettler serves out the first set against Clement at the second attempt. He takes it 6-3.

1947 Murray saves it, a volley producing a mis-hit forehand from Nadal which sails out.

1946 Nadal moves to break point - a virtual match point the way he's been serving.

1943 Murray is taking a bit of a pummelling against Nadal on Centre so far. Let's hope brother Jamie fares better in his mixed doubles quarter-final. He and Liezel Huber have just started out on Court Two against Daniel Nestor and Chia-Jung Chuang, the second seeds.

1942 A shot off the frame follows and then he just goes wide on a backhand. Nadal holds. 2-2.

1941 At last Murray makes an impact on Nadal's serve, moving to 15-30. He gets a look at second serve but can't capitalise, eventually dumping a backhand into the net.

1940 We've just heard the order of play for tomorrow and Dementieva v Venus will be first up at 1300, followed by Zheng v Serena.

1939 Schuettler, having produced three love service games in a row, fails to serve out the set. Clement hits back and will now serve at 2-5.

1938 Murray holds from 0-30 to move 2-1 ahead in the third set.

1936 Murray is rooted as a Nadal winner flashes past him in game three. He's not looked too bouncy today - his legs may still be feeling Monday night's four-hour epic. In contrast, Nadal is showing no signs of the knee problem he picked up in his fourth-round clash.

1934 Schuettler now has a double break on Court One against Clement. He's about to serve for the first set at 5-1.

1932 We've just seen a great example of the amount of spin Nadal can put on the ball. It move almost sideways to leave him in a winning position in the point. That's a huge problem when facing Nadal. He deosn't have a huge serve, but the spin works to his advantage even on the delivery. He duly holds to level at 1-1.

1930 More mistakes from Murray seem to be coming now. He's probably becoming a little disheartened. However, he manages to hold to 30 in the opening game of the third set.

1928 Schuettler has the first break of serve on Court One. The German leads Clement 3-1.

1926 The match stats paint the picture on Centre. Murray's first-serve percentage is a paltry 43. Nadal is up at 61. The Spaniard is wiining 92 per cent of points when his first serve goes in, 81 on the second. The figures for Murray are 81 and 38 respectively.

1924 A rare double fault on set point brings light relief for Murray. A backhand winner on return saves another. But then a forehand into the net from Murray sees Nadal move into a two-set lead. 6-3 6-2 the score so far and Murray is in deep, deep trouble.

1919 A brilliant backhand pass from an amazing angle and down low takes Nadal to 0-40 on the Murray serve. He breaks to love and this set looks over now. Murray is being totally overclassed I'm afraid to say. Nadal will serve for a two-set lead at 5-2.

1916 Yet another love hold. Murray has won three points on Nadal's serve so far. Ancic won 10 in the match against Federer earlier - can Nadal do better? The second seed leads by a set and 4-2.

1913 Clement holds in his lengthy opening service game against Schuettler. 1-1 there.

1911 A Nadal lob forces the overhead error from Murray to bring up another break point but a big first serve saves it. Two more first serves and Murray holds on. 3-2 he trails. However, Nadal is dominating this match with Murray unable to turn the tide at present.

1908 Another superb game from Nadal and another love hold. He looks impregnable on serve at the moment. Murray doesn't seem to have any answers.

1903 Murray misses a relatively easy forehand volley to fall down 0-40. A double fault follows. That was an awful game from the Briton. He's now 2-1 down in the second set and looks in big trouble.

1900 A reminder this is Murray's first Grand Slam quarter-final. Nadal is playing his 10th and has four titles - all at the French Open - to his name. That experience is showing at the moment as Nadal holds serve easily once more. 1-1.

1858 Murray is taken to deuce in the opening game of the second set but produces two good volleys to hold. That was crucial.

1856 Arnaud Clement and Rainer Schuettler are now warming up on Court One for the one remaining quarter-final. Clement, a slight favourite, is in a sky blue bandana today!

1853 Safin wraps up victory on Court One. He's beaten Lopez 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7/1) 6-3 and will play Roger Federer in Friday's semi-finals.

1852 Murray has been second best so far, that's for sure. Of most concern will be the lack of impact he's having on Nadal's serve.

1851 A stunning cross-court backhand winner off a low approach from Murray helps Nadal serve out to 15. He takes the first set 6-3 after 35 minutes.

1847 Murray saves the first break point with a brilliant forehand winner down the line, but then a wild smash from the home hope is way long. Nadal has the break and will now serve for the first set at 5-3.

1846 That drop shot could be very costly. It's now 15-40. Meanwhile, Safin has failed to serve out. Lopez has got one of the breaks back to keep his hopes alive.

1845 The first attempted drop shot from Murray fails. It's into the net.

1844 Another easy hold for Nadal - to 15. Murray is struggling to make an impact on the Spaniard's serve and has won just two points on it so far. That's a worry. Nadal leads 4-3.

1842 Safin is almost home. He breaks to love and now leads 5-2 with a double break. He will now serve for a place in the last four.

1841 Around a quarter of the court - at the Royal Box end - is bathed in sunlight. It's a bit awkward for Nadal, serving from that area now.

1839 Murray holds on, sealing the game with an ace. 3-3.

1837 The first is saved with a big serve, then Nadal nets a forehand.

1836 There's the drop shot from Nadal. Perfect - and it brings up the first two break points.

1834 Lopez is hanging in there on Court One. He trails Safin 3-2 in the fourth set. He needs to break back.

1832 Murray hits the umpire with an attempted backhand return as Nadal holds easily again. 3-2 he leads.

1830 Murray responds with an ace of his own. 2-2. Nadal struggled with his length in that game, three shots going long.

1828 Safin now has control out on Court One. As I thought, that third set looks to have been crucial. The Russian has now broken to lead 2-1 in the fourth. The winner of that one will face Federer on Friday.

1826 Nadal produces his first ace as he holds to 15. It's been a solid start from the second seed.

1823 Murray holds from 15-30 down. One second serve got clobbered there - a warning again that he needs a high first-serve percentage today. 1-1.

1820 A love hold for Nadal. But what we expected happened in that game. Nadal was pulling Murray around the court with a couple of long rallies. He also threw in a couple of good drop shots. Will Murray be able to do the same?

1817 Two more points for Safin and he sweeps through the tie-break 7-1. He now leads Lopez by two sets to one.

1816 Here we go. Murray v Nadal. Nadal, taking his time as ever, will serve first.

1815 Safin is off to a flier in the breaker. He has two mini-breaks and a 5-1 lead at the change of ends.

1814 Feel free to email us your views on the Murray-Nadal match as it progresses: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1813 Almost ready to go on Centre. On Court One, Safin and Lopez are into a tie-break.

1810 A reminder that Murray has yet to beat Nadal in three attempts, although he did take him to five sets at last year's Australian Open, a match the Scot could have won.

1808 Over on Court One, Safin holds for a 6-5 lead in the third set.

1806 Murray and Nadal have just walked out on to Centre Court to a big ovation. It will be interesting to see how much support Nadal gets.

1805 The keys to this match for me are Murray's first serve - he needs a higher percentage than the other night against Gasquet. Something in the mid 60s or higher would be good. I think he will get chances on Nadal's serve which isn't, in my opinion, as good as Gasquet's.

1801 Fazana is back on and is "so excited" about the Murray-Nadal clash. My prediction was made earlier - Nadal in four, but I'm not ruling Murray out completely. It could be a classic. And it looks like it could be another late night in store at SW19.

1800 Safin holds for a 5-4 lead. You get the feeling this third set will be crucial to the outcome.

1758 Safin staves off the first break point of the third set while serving at 4-4. Serve has dominated this set so far

1756 Federer describes his serving today as "excellent" in his post-match interview. Spot on there.

1755 OK, the wait is almost over. Murray and Nadal will be on Centre Court in the next few minutes. Any thoughts email us: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1753 Ancic was outclassed today. He won just 10 points on Federer's serve in the entire match and couldn't force a single break point. Federer will now face either Lopez or Safin in the last four. It's a set all and 4-4 in that one.

1752 Awesome serving - including 13th, 14th and 15th aces - seal Federer's win. 6-1 7-5 6-4. He was superb today and seems to be getting better as the tournament goes on.

1749 Ancic forces Federer to serve it out with a hold to 30. Over on Court One, Safin now leads 4-3. That's as tight as everyone expected.

1746 Yet another love hold for Federer - 5-3. Ancic may get one last chance to break, but he must hold first.

1744 Ancic holds to 15, ducking a vicious forehand which went straight at him on game point. Meanwhile on Court One, Safin is 3-2 up in the third set, although it remains on serve.

1740 One down, two to go. Another easy hold for Federer. A last-four spot looks just minutes away - and Murray-Nadal will follow soon after.

1738 That could be it for Ancic. He is broken to 15, a wild forehand out wide conceding the game. Federer leads 3-2 and three holds from here will see him into the semis.

1734 Federer recovers from a 0-30 situation, reeling off four straight points. 2-2 on Centre. Federer took the first two sets.

1731 Ancic holds easily this time to take a 2-1 lead. The trainer then comes out to treat him. He's had a strapping on his calf since the start.

1730 The Williams sisters have won and are through to the ladies' doubles semis. They have beaten Mattek and Mirza 6-4 6-3. A title double beckons now.

1729 Federer wastes little time on serve though. He holds to 15 to level at 1-1.

1727 After 16 minutes, Ancic manages to hold for 1-0 in the third set. To put in contrast, the first set took 20 minutes. There was some excellent tennis in that game. Ancic is serving and volley on the majority of points with some success. But Federer's returning was good there and he was close to breaking.

1726 Safin levels at one set all. Lopez saved one break point with a big serve but a sliced backhand into the net sees Safin take the second set 7-5.

1725 Two set points for Safin on Court One.

1724 Ancic saves another break point before a superb lob from Federer brings up a fourth chance to break. However, a big forehand from Ancic gets him out of trouble and on we go. A 10th deuce!

1720 We haven't forgotten Federer and Ancic but they are embroiled in an epic opening game of the third set. Ancic has saved two break points so far but can't finish things off.

1717 Lopez does hold and levels at 5-5 at the business end of the second set.

1715 Lopez is now serving to stay in the set at 4-5 on Court One.

1708 It's no surprise to see Federer serve out and claim the second set 7-5. He's now just a set away from the semi-finals and looks in fine form. It's hard to see Ancic breaking the Fed serve. That's one department where Federer still has the edge on arch rival Nadal, I'd say.

1707 Lopez breaks straight back, forcing an error from Safin with a deep forehand. One thing you might not know about the leftie - he made a guest appearance in a Spanish soap opera recently. How about Andy Murray doing the same? I'd suggest his demeanour is more gritty EastEnders than chirpy Coronation Street.

1705 Trouble for Ancic on Centre. He chokes serving at 5-5, first netting a backhand volley and then dishing up a double fault. Federer will now serve for a two-set lead.

1704 Safin strikes for the first time on the Lopez serve to open a 4-2 lead. A netted smash sees Lopez fall 15-40 down and Safin capitalises on the second break point. He's playing some good stuff and looks confident when he comes forward. This tournament is the best I've seen the Russian on grass - a surface he once said was "for cows" not tennis.

1702 A rare forehand mistake from Federer doesn't prove costly. No signs of pressure there as he levels at 5-5.

1659 Ancic comes up with a love game of his own on Centre to move 5-4 up. The pressure is now on Federer but from what we've seen so far in this set, a tie-break beckons.

1658 On Court One it's 2-2 in the second set between Lopez and Safin. The Spaniard is using his serve to good effect - he's yet to face a break point. That is sure to frustrate the temperamental Safin, who is already a set down.

1655 Superb serving backed up with a firing forehand see Federer hold to love - again. He has lost just five points on serve so far and three of those were in one game.

1653 Ancic holds from 15-30 to move ahead again. Meanwhile, out on Court Two the Williams sisters have taken the first set in their ladies' doubles quarter-final.

1649 Federer holds to love. His serve has looked in great nick today, indeed all tournament actually. Even if Ancic does manage to get a break point don't assume he'll take it. Federer saved all eight break points he faced against Hewitt in the last round.

1647 Ancic is looking a lot better since play resumed on Centre. An easy hold has just seen him move 3-2 ahead against Federer in the second set.

1646 Lopez takes the first set against Safin 6-3. He missed three set points but finally puts away an overhead to take the set.

1643 Federer recovers from 15-30 to 40-30 but then shanks a forehand over the doubles line. Two big serve see him hold from deuce. 2-2.

1641 Lopez is about to serve for the first set against Safin at 5-3.

1640 A decent game from Ancic. Some big first serves see him hold for a 2-1 lead.

1637 Ancic comes out to get us back under way. He's serving at 1-1 in the second set.

1636 If you do want to send in more comments the address is: andy.schooler@bskyb.com. Anyone giving Ancic a chance in this one?

1635 OK, time to refocus on the action. Federer leads Ancic 6-1 1-1 and looked in sparkling form earlier. The Croat will hope the rain delay has knocked Federer out of his stride. We are about to find out.

1633 Gary Williamson says Murray is no loser, even he doesn't win (if you get my drift). "Murray may well not win tonight, in all honesty I would be very surprised if he got close, but what can be guaranteed is passion, commitment and flair - everything that was missing during Lleyton Hewitt's insipid demise a few days ago."

1630 Just as the announcer said, the players come out on the showcourts on time. They will now knock up before starting again for real.

1626 Another email about the Centre Court roof is in. I addressed this earlier but I reiterate the new retractable roof won't be ready until next year. This was always going to be the case - not another delay of Wembley-esque proportions. Yes, the Centre Court has some sort of roof on this year - it was totally open 12 months ago - but the construction workers will be back in next week to restart work and complete in time for the 2009 championships. Also next year there will be a new Court Two, which will seat 4,000 fans. So the changes continue in SW19.

1620 Student Fazana Hussain emails from a library in Birmingham - she was going to watch the match in town. Perhaps you'd better head back down there now. "I think Nadal will win - he is an awesome player. He is hungry for the Wimbledon men's title and it shows! He will simply outplay Murray with his huge serves and ground strokes. Advice to Murray - go easy on your drop shots, we know you like them but Nadal will eat you alive, and make sure your second serve is deep. Like most of us I will be supporting you, but let's be realistic here, it will be a Nadal and Federer final!" I have to say I largely agree with your comments. Nadal will pounce on any poorly-hit drop shots, while it's vital Murray stays deep on his second serve. Of course, it's a fine balance between doing that and overhitting and rattling off too many double faults.

1619 The announcer at the All England Club has just been back on and he says play will resume at 1630. The forecasters are confident we've seen the last of rain so let's hope for a great end to the day. Remember they played on until after 9.30pm on Monday!

1617 Alan Chalmers has been on to say: "Hello from a Scot in Miami. It's 11am here and I've taken the day off work to watch the Murray match. How frustrating. Although I don't hold out much hope I think it's going to be a very good match up. Nadal in five. (Hope I'm wrong though). Well, Alan your frustation may not last much longer. The covers are now off on Court One I can see. A reminder that it's Lopez 5-2 up on Safin there. On Centre, it's Federer leading Ancic 6-1 1-1.

1615 It looks like the rain has stopped now. Back to the Murray debate and surely he can count on huge crowd support against Nadal. I was lucky enough to be on Centre Court on Monday night for the Murray-Gasquet clash and the fans almost entriely behind the Brit, Scot, whatever you want to call him. One thing I found quite amusing though was one clearly English voice which kept piping up cheering on Gasquet. The person in question was left with egg on his face though. He shouted out 'Do it for England, Richard' just as Gasquet stepped up to serve for the match at 5-4 in the third set. That was the turning point for me!

1610 The smattering of fans left on Court One are getting a Mexican wave going, although it doesn't quite have the same effect when the arena is only a quarter full! Perhaps someone should tell them. Meanwhile, the covers remain in place and the brollies up.

1605 Michael D'Ancy has been on to say he feels Murray has a decent chance against Nadal. "Now that we have been on the conversation about Andy, I think he might beat Nadal today, but as the last person said he will start showing his true side of anger when he starts losing. Also, how can he say he doesn't like the English? If he kept his comments to himself he might have a bigger following. Good luck to him anyway." It's not so much that he said he didn't like the English - I explained what he did say below - but I certainly agree his comments weren't the cleverest thing he's ever done. As for expressing his anger, I don't have a problem with that. I've smashed a few racquets against the fence and net in my time so it's something I can relate to. Obviously it does anger some people though. But remember people criticised Tim Henman for no showing enough emotion on court. Murray is certainly a different character to Tim.

1600 Daniel Bailey emails to say Nadal and Venus are his title tips. A fair shout about Venus, Daniel, and that gives me a chance to blow my own trumpet. My ladies' betting preview tipped either Williams sister to win at 15/8 and frankly I'll be gutted if that doesn't come in now. Hopefully a few of you out there followed that advice. And yes, my head is swelling up here!

1559 The All England Club announcer says another shower is expected in around 10 minutes time but he's also said that after that a clear spell should follow. A cheer goes up around the grounds at that news!

1555 Oh dear! What a frustrating day. The covers have just been drawn back across Court 18 near the media centre as more rain falls. So keep those comments and questions coming: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1550 Lewis Jenkins steps in as peacemaker. "Come on Colin, stop trying to be different to everyone else. You love Andy Murray really." Meanwhile, the courts are almost ready for the players to return.

1549 Blaine may consider Murray British, but not Andrea Watson. "I note that you have Andy Murray down as (GBR) - please note that he is SCOTTISH! Whenever he does well, media have him down as British, but anything negative he is then Scottish! Sort this out please." I'm afraid he's British to me - and I have Scottish blood too.

1545 Apologies to Blaine - he wasn't Scottish after all. However, he adds: "I just want Murray to win because he is British. I doubt his comments on the English were meant to be taken seriously, and even if they were, it doesn't bother me in the slightest!" A reminder that before the 2006 World Cup he was asked about Scotland's chances at the football World Cup. The reporter knew full well that the Scots hadn't qualified. As the conversation continued he was asked who he wanted to win and responded "anyone except England".

1543 The covers are now off on Centre and we could have some play soon.

1535 Colin Fletcher is part of the anti-Murray camp it seems. He says: "Reading the comments on Murray against Nadal, I just have to laugh. You Poms are great at supporting losers. If it is not Flintoff at cricket, it is Murray at tennis, and Casey at golf, and so it goes on and on. Murray is going to get a good hiding, and as soon as he starts losing, his true horrible character comes out. He is a born loser." Well, my view it I think the British do tend to overreact to good sporting performances but in this case I think you've gone the other way. Murray may not win today and may, like Tim Henman, never win a Grand Slam. Does that make really make him 'a loser'?

1532 Good weather news! Some of the covers are being peeled back on the outside courts. The tents have been raised on the showcourts so these will take a time to come down though.

1525 Blaine Stewart emails regarding the Murray match. With a name like that I'm assuming he's Scottish. "I would obviously like Murray to win, but unfortunately can't see it. If he plays anything like he did in the first two sets on Monday, there will be no way back against Nadal. I am praying for Nadal to win, for the sake of the sport and the fact that Federer for some unknown reason just gets on my nerves!" There's certainly a view that it would be good for someone other than Federer to win this year. I was speaking to a colleague the other day who thought just that. However, I certainly don't get the impression that the sentiment is anything like it was when Pete Sampras was dominating 10 years ago. Federer's more personable nature may have something to do with that, while I feel he has a better all-round game. That brings us on to Murray. He seems to be both loved and loathed in the UK. His 'anti-English' comments often seem to be a reason for that. Let us know your views on Murray.

1520 The umbrellas are still up I'm afraid and the covers remain on. This is pushing the Murray-Nadal match back all the time. All the forecasts have been suggesting things should ease around 1600. Fingers crosssed. In the meantime, feel free to email in your views: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1515 Anyone got any more opinions? How about the eventual champion? I'm with Federer who has looked excellent here so far and was in breathtaking form before rain stopped play today. I just can't see Nadal beating him at present. Then again, perhaps it will be Andy Murray in the final against Roger...

1510 Make sure you savour this moment - such lengthy rain delays will soon be a thing of the past. Next year the retractable roof will be on Centre Court and play will be continuing below. The covers will still be needed - when the rain starts to fall they will be pulled across and the roof will take a few minutes to come across. The covers will then be withdrawn before play restarts. Want to know how it will look? Check out our photo gallery section for a look at how the Centre Court has changed in recent years and what the finished product will look like in 2009.

1500 Simon Franklin emails to say: "I still don't understand why Wimbledon have a break on Sunday when they would have a bigger potential audience. Wouldn't it make more sense to break on the second Monday, or to space out matches evenly so we have play every day?" You certainly have a point, Simon, but I think the main reason for this is tradition. Wimbledon is steeped in it, from the white clothing to the ivy on the walls Centre Court. It's what makes this tournament so different and keeps its reputation as the top event in the sport. I spoke to Wimbledon chief executive Ian Ritchie before the tournament and he stressed there were no plans to play on the middle Sunday. He also went out of his way to state that there were no plans to start on a Sunday - something the French Open moved to last year. They now play over 15 days, as opposed to 13 here. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam not to play on the middle Sunday.

1458 It's still raining by the way. In case you've just logged on, Federer leads Ancic 6-1 1-1, while Lopez is 5-2 up on Safin.

1455 Good to see your comments - we haven't had much chance to do this what with all the sunshine! Matt Jennings, closer to home in Harrogate, feels Murray can cause and upset and topple Nadal. "im going to disagree with you and say Murray to win in five. If you look back to the game in Australia 18 months ago had Murray had the right mentality and fitness he now has he would have won that match. That and Nadal's knee injury and if Murray can get him running back to front as well as side to side I think Murray will just edge it - 6-4 in the final set." I'd say that's a pretty good assessment, Matt. You're right about that Melbourne clash. Murray was on top for long periods but his dodgy fitness back then played a big part. However, I feel Nadal is better on grass than on a hardcourt. For those of you who don't know about that match we keep talking about, Nadal won it in the end 6-7(3/7) 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1. We'll have another treat in store if today's match is anything like that one.

1450 Your views are still coming in as we look forward to Murray-Nadal. Margaret and John are out in Cyprus and are keenly anticipating the match. They have a dilemma though. "We don't know whether to get dressed and leave the pool to go to a hotel to watch the game. Now that rain has stopped the present match, we might squeeze another dip in." Choices, choices eh? It's a tough call, although not much sign of a resumption at the moment. Perhaps we should throw it open to the rest of you. Hotel or pool? You decide!

1440 The rain is still light but it's significant they have yet to put the tent up on the showcourts. At present the covers are still just lying across the court.

1435 Hooray! Geoff Dennis agrees with me. Good for the ego that. Geoff says: "I also believe that Nadal will emerge victorious in four sets...I reckon Andy will win set two." It should certainly be an interesting match. Nadal was troubled by Ernests Gulbis in round two and I believe Murray is a better player at present than the Latvian. Also, not a great deal has been said of Nadal's knee problems which returned to affect him on Monday. Rather worryingly, Nadal reported that he heard 'something crack' in that match. He's had problems with the joint before and you will see in every match that his knee is heavily strapped just under the patella to keep things in place. That just might be a factor today. Murray's fitness, however, looks good. He's had the reputation for a long time of not being as fit as he should but the one thing that pleased me more than anything about his victory over Gasquet was that he was able to put that one to bed. He was playing as well as at any time come the end of Monday's match and that was after almost four hours of play.

1433 Some news from the ladies' doubles. Serena and Venus Williams were just two points from taking the first set when play was halted. They lead Bethanie Mattek and Sania Mirza 5-3 with the score at deuce. Meanwhile, the top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber have hit back from a break down and now lead 5-4 against Victoria Azarenka and Shahar Peer. Huber is, of course, Jamie Murray's partner in the mixed doubles and they are due to be back in action later today.

1429 A chance to look back at some of your emails. Victor is following the action in Ghana but fears for Andy Murray's chances against Rafael Nadal later. "I did say last time I emailed that this year's tournament will be full of surprises and with the shocking and early exits of top seeds more is expected. But the Murray and Nadal clash today will be quite different in that Nadal is a never-say-die player even when he is down. I believe he will beat Murray in three straight sets." That could well happen Victor, but I'm going for Nadal in four. Murray really pushed him on a hardcourt in Australia 18 months ago and is now back to something like his best. Anyone else want to air their opinion? Email me: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1424 Now Safin and Lopez head for the locker room. Lopez was able to hold for a 5-2 advantage before they went off.

1423 Federer falls behind in a service game but hits back by reeling off four straight points and wins it to 15. He levels at 1-1 before play is suspended as the rain is spitting again. A reminder of the score - 6-1 1-1 in favour of the maestro.

1421 A vital hold in the opening game of the second set for Ancic. I have to admit I didn't think things would be this one-sided!

1418 Over on Court One, Safin is already losing his rag. He's just slammed his racquet into the turf. Lopez holds and is now 4-1 up.

1417 Federer takes the set 6-1 with a love hold. It took just 20 minutes and Federer lost just one point on his serve. That's a near-perfect set.

1416 Over on Court One, Lopez has just broken Safin to lead 3-1. The Spaniard has certainly made the better start in that one.

1415 Federer has already come up with some impressive passing shots when Ancic has come forward - the Croat is really pushing the serve-volley tactics. A cross-court backhand pass brings up break point but an error sees the chance evaporate. Never mind, another soon follows - this time a cross-court forehand is the shot responsible. Another punishing forehand then forces an error and it's 5-1 Fed. This set is all but over.

1409 Federer loses his first point on serve but he still holds to 15 with two more aces. I'm not sure how Ancic is going to get back into this set. 4-1 the champion leads.

1407 Ancic gets on the scoreboard with a hold to 15 on Centre. Federer leads 3-1 and I'm afraid some spots of rain are starting to fall.

1406 Early trouble for Safin but he saves two break points in his first service game to level at 1-1 against Lopez.

1403 More excellent serving from Federer gives him another love hold. 3-0 on Centre.

1402 A couple of misjudged low volleys from Ancic see him fall 15-40 down. One break point is saved but another volley error gives Federer an early break. Not the start Ancic wanted in this one. 2-0.

1358 A love hold for Federer to start things off, including two aces. That's a confident start for the defending champion.

1357 Both showcourt matches are now under way. Federer is serving first against Ancic in the big one. We'll focus on that but will keep you updated on Safin-Lopez.

1356 Campbell Cairns emails to ask: "Am I missing something or is there not a new roof at a cost of millions?" Well, Campbell, the new roof isn't ready just yet. It's partly built but the bit that comes over the court has yet to be put on. That will happen after this year's tournament and will be functional for next year's championships. So if this rain happens against next year, we should have play. Hope that explains things.

1354 As usual Federer looks immaculate as he warms up. His game has been in pretty good shape so far too. At the start of the tournament, all the talk was about his hammering at the hands of Nadal at the French Open. However, given on what I've seen here so far, Federer remains the title favourite for good reason. He's yet to drop a set and brushed aside Lleyton Hewitt on Monday. We're about to see if he can do the same against Ancic, the last player to beat him on grass.

1352 Another reminder that you can send us your views on today's action. I particularly want to hear your comments about Murray-Nadal which hopefully will be on later. Email me: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1349 Federer and Ancic are now warming up too. Great news!

1345 Looks like we are about to get some play! Marat Safin and Feliciano Lopez have just walked out onto Court One.

1334 No sooner do we get a bad weather report than the rain ceases. And believe it or not some of the covers are now being taken off!

1324 Not great news on the weather front. The covers remain on and officials are now saying they expect the rain to continue until around 1600. If that's the case, it's hard to see how Andy Murray's match will be able to finish today. We'll keep you posted.

1316 Our online poll is currently asking you who you think will win today's Murray-Nadal clash and the result as it stands is that 68 per cent of you are backing Nadal to progress. That's basically two out of three. If you want to cast your vote, visit the home page of our microsite - the poll is in the bottom left corner.

1309 Michael Meyer has emailed in to give us his view on those men's quarters. He says: "I think it's fantastic to see two 'veterans' get so far and defying odds. I think and really hope Safin brings his A game to court number one today and leaves his bad temper and unstable mind back in his hotel. If he does I think he have too much power and experience for the Spaniard. I still think he is the dark horse for the eventual winner. I think Nadal will prove too strong for the local/Scottish hero. But 10 points for the win over the Frenchman." Safin certainly knows how to throw a tantrum, Michael. Personally, I'd love to see him explode on Court One today! Who says the game's characters are long gone? Got any views on today's action? - let us all know by emailing me: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1300 You may be expecting something about Roger Federer walking on to Centre Court now. Sadly it's raining so the start of the men's singles quarter-finals has been delayed with the covers on. We did get some play on th outside courts earlier, but only about 20 minutes. The forecast is for the rain to ease off later, but we could well be in for a frustrating day.

1250 It's still raining by the way and is pretty dark overhead. Therefore I might as well take the chance to tell you that in doubles today it's the women's quarter-finals - as you've probably already since below, the Williams sisters were in action before rain stopped play - while there is also third-round and quarter-final action in the mixed. Briton Jamie Murray and partner Liezel Huber are due on court later against second seeds Daniel Nestor and Chia-Jung Chuang. That's the third match scheduled for Court Two. We'll keep an eye on that for you as and when (or if) it starts.

1245 The one remaning quarter-final is Rainer Schuettler v Arnaud Clement. These are two veterans - 32 and 30 respectively - who probably can't believe that they are one win from the Wimbledon semi-finals. Both players are best known for performances at the Australian Open. Schuettler made a surprise run to the final in Melbourne in 2003, while two years earlier Clement did the same thing. On both occasions, Andre Agassi proved too good in the final. Schuettler is the higher ranked player (94 v 145) and also leads 4-1 on their head-to-head record. However, I feel Clement's game is better suited to the grass. He is also the reigning men's doubles champion here, so you may well remember him from 12 months ago - he's the man in the shades and the bandana. Another tight contest looks to be in store. I'll go for Clement in five. Let us know your thoughts on any of today's matches: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1240 The Centre Court has certainly got the pick of today's men's quarter-finals, but Court One could still see some intriguing battles. First up there is Marat Safin v Feliciano Lopez. Safin is the man who sent third seed Novak Djokovic packing last week and he's backed that up with a run which has defied his poor form in 2008. Always regarded as a highly-talented player, this will be just his second Wimbledon quarter-final. The first came back in 2001 when he lost to the eventual champion, Goran Ivanisevic. You may remember Lopez as the man who ended Tim Henman's Wimbledon career last year. He's a Spaniard but one who likes to come forward - something of a rarity. Backed up by a good serve he looks sure to attack the net fairly regularly in a bid to unsettle Safin. The bookies make the Russian a slight favourite but the closeness in the prices suggests this could easily go to five sets. The winner of that one will meet Federer or Ancic in the last four.

1235 With rain still falling, we'll continue to look ahead to those men's quarter-finals and move on the Federer-Ancic. The defending champion is now unbeaten on grass in 63 matches but it was Ancic who last beat him on the surface - at this venue back in 2002. Federer has more than gained revenge since then though and now leads the series 5-1. His five straight wins against the Croat include a victory here in 2006, also at the last-eight stage. Federer has looked in great nick so far, although no-one has really forced him to play at his best yet. Lleyton Hewitt made him fight in the first set on Monday but just like all Federer's other foes he went down in straight sets, with the Swiss slamming the door shut whenever Hewitt forced a break point. He's the only man remaining the the draw who has not dropped a set here. As for Ancic, he really had to scrap to get this far. He eventually saw off Fernando Verdasco 13-11 in the final set in the previous round, so fatigue could well come into play today. An Ancic win would be stunning but he'll have to serve well to stand any chance. Don't expect it to happen.

1230 The covers are coming on I'm afraid. The Williamses were level at 1-1 in the first set when the covers were pulled on. I'm afraid this may well mean the 1300 start for the men's singles quarter-finals has to be put back.

1225 Of course, all the talk around the grounds today is on Andy Murray v Rafael Nadal. It's the second match on Centre Court - after Roger Federer v Mario Ancic. Murray, who progressed thanks to Monday's stunning comeback against Richard Gasquet, starts as a big outsider but he has to have at least a puncher's chance. Murray's biggest problem the other night was his first-serve percentage. For the first two sets it was down at less than 50 per cent. It improved as the match wore on and that was reflected in the result. He will have to be sharper on serve from the start today as Nadal will punish him on the return otherwise. The other part of Murray's game that will have to be spot on it his drop shot. The 21-year-old loves playing this shot and much has been made of the fact. However, he has far from perfected it yet and with Nadal being one of the fastest players on the tour, I'd have thought he will need to use it less and execute it better today. Nadal comes into the clash on a 21-match winning streak so deserves to start as the favourite. But Murray troubled him in their only previous Grand Slam clash - in Australia last season. That one went to five sets. We can only hope for another such thriller today. We'd love to know your views on the clash. Do you agree with my assessment? Let us know by emailing me: andy.schooler@bskyb.com

1210 As play gets under way, we should catch up on the weather forecast. Some heavy showers are predicted in the early afternoon but these should ease as the day goes on. I'm afraid this looks set to be the day when rain finally arrives at Wimbledon 2008, but hopefully we can still get those quarter-finals completed. We'll preview those games here in a moment.

1208 The Williams sisters are among those first in action today - they are playing their women's doubles quarter-final against Bethanie Mattek and Sania Mirza out on Court Two. The singles action - the men's quarter-finals - isn't due to start until 1300.

1205 We had rain in SW19 earlier and the covers were on but the players are have just walked on the outside courts ready to start on time.