Rafael Nadal reached the quarter-finals, but not without a scare or two. How do did rate his performance and what can you tell us about his young American opponent, Sam Querrey?

That was the first set Rafa has dropped in the whole tournament [he beat Querrey 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3] and of course that’s only going to raise the old doubts about his past record in this tournament. Really I think rather that you have to give Querry tremendous credit. He serves well but doesn’t come in and volley that often which would give him easy points and instead he slugged it out with Nadal from the back of the court. Rafa played superb tennis when he had to and saved seven break points in the seventh game of the fourth set. He survived and equalled his best showing in this tournament by reaching the quarter-finals, so I am sure he will be satisfied.

His opponent in the last eight will be Mardy Fish, the American. What sort of problems will he pose?

Fish beat Gael Monfils in straight sets to reach his second grand-slam quarter-final, but it is the first time he has got this far here [the American reached the last eight of the Australian Open in 2007]. Monfils was too passive and didn’t really have an answer, he seemed to be content to lob the ball back to Fish and that is playing to his strengths. Fish is one of the best volleyers in the game and he will pose an entirely different challenge to Nadal than that of Querry. He will come in as much as possible and try to unsettle the Spaniard – most Fish won’t go anywhere near a net but this one is an exception. He has been there or thereabouts [reaching No 17 in the world rankings in 2004] but had bad luck with a wrist injury that needed surgery, now he is showing he could be on the way back.

Amelie Mauresmo, the former Wimbledon champion, bowed out of the women's singles with barely a whimper, losing 6-3, 6-0 to Flavia Pennetta. Your thoughts?

She had her high points for sure, none more so than winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, but those days are surely gone, I am afraid. She seems happy to drift along, winning the odd match here or there, but she fell apart in the second set against Pennetta and it’s a little sad to see the younger players rip into her like that. It wouldn’t surprise me if, in the next year or so, she decides that there are better ways to spend her time.

Neil Harman was talking to Richard Neale