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Schuettler: Gruelling contest
Rainer Schuettler beat Arnaud Clement in five sets to book a semi-final date with Rafael Nadal.
The German won the battle of the unseeded players on Court One in the longest singles match of the tournament, lasting five hours and 12 minutes and spread over two days.
The contest was twice held up by rain delays before Schuettler eventually prevailed 6-3 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (7-9) 8-6 after saving a match point in the deciding set.
Resuming at one set all after bad light brought a premature halt to proceedings on Wednesday, the veteran pair were straight back into the groove, trading breaks in three more marathon sets.
Clement incredibly saved six successive set points after falling 6-0 down in the third-set tie-break before losing it with a double fault, but he came back to claim the fourth.
Rain breaks
With a further two rain breaks delaying things even further, Schuettler finally claimed the fifth set at the third attempt to book a date with second seed Nadal.
Clement, wearing his trademark bandana and shades in the sporadic sunshine on Court One, looked the more lively at the start of the day and broke in game four.
A net-cord deflection fell the Frenchman's way for a 3-1 advantage, but the world number 94 hit back three games later thanks to a wayward Clement passing shot.
And though neither player looked secure on serve, both managed to make it through unscathed to a third-set tie-breaker.
Schuettler raced into a 6-0 lead, but Clement began his fightback with a simple overhead, before a couple of backhand winners and a Schuettler error helped him claim back the other two mini-breaks.
The Frenchman double faulted, however, and Schuettler produced an ace to take the breaker 8-6.
The fourth set too went to a breaker, though this was a more conventional affair - Clement broke for 5-3 and, though Schuettler got back on terms, the Frenchman eventually triumphed 9-7.
After a pair of early breaks in the fifth, Schuettler was on the verge of levelling at 2-2 when rain forced a brief hiatus in the action.
That quickly became 4-4 when play resumed, before a stunning backhand winner gave Clement match point at 5-4, but Schuettler swatted a forehand down the line to save it - and ultimately hold for 5-5.
Schuettler broke in game 11 when the ball flew off the frame of Clement's racquet, but another flashing winner made it 6-6.
Another delay
With another rain cloud moving ominously towards the All England Club, a double fault from Clement gave his opponent two break points.
As the rain started to fall Clement saved both to take the game to deuce - before the heavens opened and the players were forced off once more.
This time they were off court for a more extended period and it seemed to work against Clement, who fired into the net to hand Schuettler the decisive break within seconds of the resumption.
And though Clement saved two match points, the German finally produced a big serve to seal victory.
Schuettler later said he thought it was a "strange match", explaining "he was 4-1 up. I was in the fourth 4-1 up, had two or three break points for 5-1, so the entire match was really, really strange.
"And after winning six points, I was like, okay, two sets to one, solid. Now he has to really try to win it and try to be more aggressive, try to risk it.
"Then 6-6, I was like, oh my God, what's happening here? If you make the third set then obviously it's a big advantage - also mentally.
"I thought in the fourth set I had it, and then it changed the other way. So you never know.
"Even in the fifth set, I mean, I was serving for the match. He had match point. So it was back and forth.
"Well, that's tennis. I'm sorry for him. I'm very happy that I made it."
