After the sensational exit of world number one Novak Djokovic, normal service was restored in the men’s section of the draw as the 2012 gold medalist Andy Murray and 2008 gold medalist Rafael Nadal moved confidently in to the pre quarter finals on Tuesday. Juan Martin Del Potro and Kei Nishikori are still in the hunt and look favoured to reach the medal stage of the event.

Andy Murray the winner in London, easily dismissed the Argentine Juan Monaco in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, while the Beijing winner Nadal had to battle harder but routine looking 6-3, 6-3 win over the Italian Andreas Seppi. Del Potro, the bronze medal winner in London and who caused the sensational upset of Djokovic on Sunday recovered from a mid match collapse against Joao Sousa of Portugal as he won a hard fought contest 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. The fourth seeded Kei Nishikori too had to overcome deficits in both the sets against the Australian John Millman 7-6(4), 6-4.

It was the end of the road for the two seasoned veterans Jo Wilfred Tsonga of France and the Spaniard David Ferrer as they lost to the in form Gilles Muller of Luxembourg and the Russian Evgeny Donskoy respectively. While Tsonga lost 4-6, 3-6 to the left handed Muller, Ferrer let slip a one set lead against the 84th ranked Donskoy losing 6-3, 6-7(1), 5-7.

Other players to advance to the round of sixteen were Taro Daniel of Japan, the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon, David Goffin of Belgium, the 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia and the American Steve Johnson.

The Italian Fabio Fognini upset the 16th seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire in a very entertaining 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) while Andrej Martin of the Slovak Republic advanced courtesy of a walkover from the German veteran Phillipe Kohlschreiber.

In the last match of the day the crowd was treated to a home win as Thomaz Bellucci upset the Argentina born Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the last match of the day on center court.

The following is the line up for the round of 16 with my pick mentioned first:-

Juan Martin Del Potro v. Taro Daniel
Roberto Bautista Agut (10) v. Gilles Muller
Rafael Nadal (3) v. Gilles Simon (15)
David Goffin (8) v. Thomaz Bellucci
Marin Cilic (9) v. Gael Monfils (6)
Kei Nishikori (4) v. Andrej Martin
Steve Johnson v. Evgeny Donskoy
Andy Murray (2) v. Fabio Fognini

In the ladies section of the draw a completely off colour Serena Williams bowed out as she lost 4-6, 3-6 to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the third round shocker on Tuesday, ending the no. 1 seeded American’s bid to become the first tennis player to collect a pair of singles gold. Williams served five double faults in just one game and had 37 unforced errors.

Two Germans are in the last eight stage as the Australian Open champion and Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber and Laura Siegemund advanced on Tuesday. Joining them are the Briton Johanna Konta, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, the American prodigy Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina of Russia and Monica Puig of Puerto Rico who dispatched the French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-1, 6-1.

The ladies quarter final line up is as under :-

Petra Kvitova v. Elina Svitolina
Angelique Kerber v. Johanna Konta
Madison Keys v. Daria Kasatkina
Monica Puig v. Laura Siegemund.

– Rasesh Mehta [Rasesh Mehta is an analyst with the Tennis Galaxy. You can reach him at the email: sportzcosmos@gmail.com]