CLEVELAND -- Baseball has a way of punching itself in the face. Even in the hours leading up to Tuesday's All-Star Game, much of the chatter on Twitter concerned earlier comments from commissioner Rob Manfred about the juiced-up baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association chief Tony Clark saying the MLB draft is inherently anti-labor.

Even fans aren't blameless in all of this. Instead of admiring all the young talent in today's game and the prodigious ability to swat home runs against incredible pitchers who throw 98 mph rocket balls, we too often lament the lack of base hits and stolen bases or complain about all the strikeouts.

The discussion is important and necessary. Sometimes, however, it feels like the criticism becomes the overwhelming narrative surrounding the sport. The All-Star Game is far from perfect; it's not what it once was, and wishing for it to be 1972 again solves nothing. We get it: Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, the two best players in the National League this season, exited in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Still, after spending three days in Cleveland, it was clear that the fans here enjoyed all the festivities with enthusiastic fervor, going crazy throughout Monday's Home Run Derby and cheering like it was a playoff game when hometown pitcher Shane Bieber struck out the side in the fifth inning. Everyone downtown and at the stadium was adorned in Indians T-shirts and jerseys -- far more support for the hometown team than I've seen at other recent All-Star Games -- in a reminder that Clevelanders, even if attendance numbers are low in the regular season, still passionately support their team.

The American League beat the National League 4-3, and few will remember the score of the game. Indeed, the most memorable moment of the night was perhaps the Stand Up To Cancer tribute, when Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco joined his four All-Star teammates and manager Terry Francona on the field. They held up signs saying they support "Cookie" -- Carrasco's nickname, which the crowd chanted -- while Carrasco held his sign, which read, "I stand."

It's a reminder that baseball is just a tiny, little blip. The fans left happy, and maybe that's all that matters.

Ten thoughts on a baseball game in Cleveland:

1. Bieber's MVP inning: Bieber wasn't on the original All-Star roster, but the replacement entered in the top of the fifth inning and struck out the side on 19 pitches, showing why he is having a breakout season in the Cleveland rotation. He fanned the Chicago Cubs' Willson Contreras looking on a 2-2, 95 mph fastball, low and away. He fanned Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks on a 3-2 curveball that drew admiration from Marte, as he saluted Bieber with a thumbs-up gesture. Then Bieber fanned Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. looking on a 3-2 slider. Note the sequence: Fastball, curveball, slider. Note Bieber's remarkable story:

Five years ago, Shane Bieber was a college walk-on, and only because another player went pro and opened up a spot for him. And now, he's striking out the side in the All-Star Game as a capacity crowd chants, "Let's go, Bieber!" An incredible story.

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 10, 2019

"I couldn't really feel my body that much because, like I said, the electricity and the atmosphere we had going, but also you didn't want to leave a cookie over the plate because these guys are so good, and they will take advantage of it," Bieber said. "Really just tried to fill up the zone as much as I could and go out there and get three outs. That was the main agenda."

The 1-2-3 inning earned Bieber MVP honors.

"Shane Bieber, he showed them something today," teammate Francisco Lindor said, beaming, after the game.

2. Cheers for Carrasco: The Indians starter hasn't pitched since May 30 as he battles leukemia. The latest reports indicate that he is expected to resume pitching at the end of July.

Former teammate Michael Brantley has remained in touch with Carrasco since he was diagnosed.

"He has a great supporting cast around him. He'll fight through this and get back on the mound," Brantley said.

Teammate Carlos Santana said the Stand Up To Cancer tribute was an emotional moment.

Bieber said it was an unbelievable moment: "Cookie, I've only known him for a year, but I can say for certain that he is one of the best teammates and best people I have ever met. Only he could turn what he is doing into a positive light, and he is going to the children's hospital, and he is spending time with them, and he is kind of reversing it on its heels. We are here for him, we love him, and we are standing with him."

#CookieStrong ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/vaaBm6x2sx

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2019

3. Jose Berrios versus Javier Baez: This wasn't a typical All-Star matchup between players from different leagues:

The More You Know: @javy23baez and @JOLaMaKina, who'll probably face each other in the 3rd inning of the @AllStarGame today (they faced each other for the first time in the All-Star last year), went to same high school in Puerto Rico, and are married to sisters. pic.twitter.com/I39elXgreU

— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 9, 2019

Berrios gave up a leadoff double to Marte but then showed he could be a Cy Young contender by season's end as he worked out of the jam. He fanned Acuna on a curveball and got Yelich looking at a fastball to set up the showdown with his brother-in-law. Berrios has faced 481 batters so far in the regular season and thrown just 26 0-0 changeups. So of course he threw a first-pitch changeup to Baez, who popped it up to shallow left field.

José ?: Listen bro we did it again. ??You're a criminal. I admire you. ?? Blessed.
Javy?: Bro what an experience. ? you're nasty. May God continue blessing you.
See you right now. pic.twitter.com/y3dvy9volD

— Jose O. Berrios (@JOLaMaKina) July 10, 2019

Francisco Lindor called Javy Báez via Face Time before Báez batted against José Berríos: "I was screaming at him, 'Here we go bro. I got my boy Berríos.' I wanted Berríos to win today and he did."#MNTwins #Indians #Cubs #ASG2019

— Dan Hayes (@DanHayesMLB) July 10, 2019

4. Joey Gallo's bomb: In his only at-bat of the game, Gallo faced Giants reliever Will Smith in the seventh inning, with the AL leading 2-1, a runner on and two outs. Smith had allowed two home runs to left-handed batters the past three seasons. This probably isn't where he wanted his pitch:

Maybe don't throw the ball there to Joey Gallo pic.twitter.com/MEtb71n02y

— Rockiesfan4ever (@Rockiesfan4ever) July 10, 2019

Gallo blasted a ball into the right-center field stands at 111.5 mph. It was the hardest-hit home run in an All-Star Game in the Statcast era (since 2015).

"Running the bases, I didn't really understand the magnitude of it," Gallo said. "I was like, 'This is an All-Star Game.' I watched this game growing up, and now I hit a home run in it."

Gallo even felt the All-Star celebration during the pregame introductions: "I kept hearing them announce all these superstars' names, and then they said my name, and I was like, 'I'm in a lineup with Mike Trout, George Springer, Mookie Betts and those guys.' It's pretty special."

5. Max Muncy plays second base in an All-Star Game: We mentioned Bieber's story. Muncy's is no less remarkable. At the start of the 2017 season, after the A's released him after 2016, he was out a job for two months before finally latching on with the Dodgers. He spent all of 2016 in the minors, then hit 35 home runs last year -- and his 22 home runs at the break made him a first-time All-Star.

That's amazing enough, but Muncy was primarily a first baseman/third baseman in the minors, starting just 12 games at second. He has started 31 games there for the Dodgers in 2019. He made a diving stop there in this game and threw out Santana to rob him of a base hit -- with help from a great stretch from Pete Alonso, who was miked up on the play:

Pete Alonso, mic'd up after his stretch-n-scoop at first base:

"Yeah, that's ... I don't know if I was on the bag on that one, though."

[sees replay]

"Oh, I was on there, hell! Hell yeah!"

[sees another replay]

"I'm on there! Heeelllllllllllll yeah! There we go!"

— David Adler (@_dadler) July 10, 2019

6. Players miked up: It's an exhibition game. This is fun. It works. At one point, we had Astros Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley hooked up together. At another point, Yelich and Bellinger. Here's Freddie Freeman batting in the first inning:

Freddie Freeman might have a future in broadcasting. ? pic.twitter.com/siDHZLf4jk

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2019

7. Big ovation for Brantley: Yes, another Cleveland moment. Brantley was a three-time All-Star for the Indians before signing with the Astros as a free agent. He received a big ovation during the pregame introductions and another one before his at-bat in the second inning against Clayton Kershaw, when he lined a two-out double into the left-center gap to score Bregman for the first run of the game.

"It's one of the things I'll always remember about Cleveland," Brantley said after the game. "They always supported me when I was here. To get a reception like that and a warm ovation is pretty special."

8. Scoreboard gaffes: OK, it wasn't all smooth sailing and good vibes, as the scoreboard operators misspelled Willson Contreras' name, had David Dahl listed as "Davis Dahl" and used Jacob deGrom's photo for Mets teammate Jeff McNeil.

Infielder/outfielder McNeil is another great story, a guy who started last year batting ninth in Double-A and became an All-Star while leading the majors with a .349 average.

McNeil wasn't too happy about the scoreboard error.

"That can't really happen, I don't think," he said. "I work so hard to make it to the All-Star Game. That's one of the things you look at, you know? What's going on? You check everything out, but it is what it is, I guess."

Hire an editor, folks.

9. All the strikeouts: The American League pitching staff finished with an All-Star record of 16 strikeouts in a nine-inning game -- a reminder that despite all the attention on home runs this season, there is some pretty good pitching to appreciate as well.

"It's the All-Star Game," McNeil said. "I mean, everybody is going to be extremely good and extremely hard to hit. Most All-Star Games are low-scoring, so I'm not surprised."

Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal offered his take.

"Pitching has changed completely from what it was seven, eight years ago from when I first started," Grandal said. "I don't think it was anything surprising. We had some good arms as well. I think most of these guys have really good arms. I think our league has got some young arms that we're going to be seeing in the All-Star Game for a very long time."

Reds starter Luis Castillo is one of those young guys, and he had maybe the most impressive inning of the game. He fanned two in his 1-2-3 inning, averaging 98 mph with his fastball and getting seven swing-and-misses on 15 pitches, including four on the six changeups he threw.

10. The AL wins again: When Aroldis Chapman came on to close out the AL's 4-3 lead, Cleveland fans greeted him with a chorus of boos. Yes, he plays for the Yankees -- but he played for the Cubs in 2016.

"The fans here are very passionate," Lindor said. "They knew he beat us in the World Series."

Chapman finished it off with three straight strikeouts.

It was the AL's seventh win in a row. For some of us who grew up when the two leagues hated each other, that would be a big deal. It's no longer a big deal, even if it does bring a few smiles to AL fans.

DALLAS – Pro Stock driver Shane Tucker will not be competing during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series three-race western swing due to business commitments with this Dallas-based company, Auzmet Architectural.

“From the very beginning my first priorities have been my business and my family,” said Tucker. “Success in both allowed me to go racing, but sometimes you have to make some tough decisions. This by far was one of the toughest and easiest decisions I have had to make. Auzmet Architectural in Dallas needs my attention over the next 30 days we have some exciting developments on the business side that will make us a stronger race team.”

Since the Gatornationals in March, Tucker and his Auzmet Camaro have qualified at every NHRA national event where Pro Stock was contested. The 33-year-old has committed to making a serious run at qualifying for the NHRA Countdown in arguably the most competitive class on the NHRA tour.

Working with his father, Rob, and engine builder, Nick Ferri, Tucker is investing both time and money in making his Chevrolet Camaro a competitive entry every race.

“We have every intention of being in Brainerd (Aug. 15-18) and finishing out the season strong,” added Tucker. “We are making improvements at every race with Nick Ferri and my dad. I am committed to Pro Stock and the NHRA. I’ll miss racing at some of the best tracks in the country in July but we’ll be back.”

CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco hopes to strike out cancer.

The Indians right-hander, who was recently diagnosed with a form of leukemia, was saluted in the fifth inning of the All-Star Game on Tuesday as part of Major League Baseball's "Stand Up to Cancer" campaign.

The 32-year-old stood in the third-base coach's box, flanked by four All-Star teammates and Indians manager Terry Francona. Carrasco held a sign that read "I Stand" while Lindor's said: "Cookie," which is the pitcher's nickname.

Carrasco had been feeling fatigued in May, and was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia following an exam at the Cleveland Clinic.

He has been cleared to resume conditioning and throwing activities to the extent he can tolerate them. Carrasco could pitch a bullpen session later this week and believes he'll return to the team at some point this season.

He had been scheduled to start against Minnesota on June 5, when the Indians issued a statement saying he was stepping away to get treatment for a "blood condition." Carrasco had been struggling on the mound before his diagnosis.

Sussex 263 & 120 lead Australia A 373 (Burns 133, Harris 109) by 10 runs

Joe Burns provided Australia's selectors with a conundrum after matching Marcus Harris with a century for Australia A before the bowlers ripped through Sussex to put the tourists on the brink of victory on day three at Arundel.

Burns was a late inclusion in the Australia A squad, after suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, and the team for this match after Matthew Wade was called up to Australia's World Cup squad.

Burns and Harris added just 11 to the 203-run opening stand they produced on day two before Harris fell caught behind for 109 but Burns kicked on to reach his century. Kurtis Patterson fell cheaply before Burns and Travis Head shared a 61-run stand until Head was given out lbw sweeping Luke Wells for 34.

Burns was eventually dismissed by a beauty from Mir Hamza, edging him to slip for 133 from 241 balls.

"My goal coming into the game was just to try and face as many balls as possible, so I'm satisfied with the performance," Burns said.

He added he benefitted from a more relaxed approach to his preparation following his time out with post viral fatigue issues.

"I've probably listened to my body a lot more," Burns said. "During the summer I was really pushing hard all the time trying to prepare as best as you can and every time I felt fatigued I just thought I had to work harder and do more. I probably just have a better understanding of where my body is at. I'm listening to it a little bit more now.

"Coming into the game, I was just trying to focus on being as fresh as possible. It's actually quite relaxing mentally coming into the game, again getting called in at the last minute probably helped with that and it just makes you relax when you get out into the middle."

Burns and Harris appear to be in a battle to partner David Warner in the opening Ashes Test but Burns said they were not worried about that against Sussex.

"As openers you're always working as a partnership, trying to get through the partnership and helping each other out in the middle," Burns said. "[Harris] has had a tremendous season and done extremely well and made plenty of runs. You saw in this game he walks out there, whacks them from ball one.

"There's a lot of players making a lot of runs. It's great signs for Australian cricket and honestly, as players, you just get out there in the middle and work with your partner to try and overcome the opposition. You don't really look at each other competing for spots. I've always thought that if everyone's making runs, there's a spot for everyone."

Usman Khawaja's hamstring injury may provide another spot in the Australia Test top order although Steve Smith is also set to return. Burns said he was bitterly disappointed to see his Queensland team-mate get injured, but would bat anywhere if required.

"I was shattered for him," Burns said. "Hopefully it's not too bad. It's a cruel game sometimes. I feel comfortable anywhere. I've batted in a lot of different positions in the order in the past. Hopefully Uzzie [Khawaja] is there though. He's made that No.3 spot his own and is a really integral part of the Test team. As a team-mate you don't really want to think like that, you just hope he can get back playing and recover as quickly as possible."

Australia A collapsed against the second new ball following Burns' dismissal falling from 313 for 3 to 373 all out, but their bowlers tore through Sussex's batting line-up in the afternoon.

Jackson Bird, James Pattinson and Jon Holland each took three wickets as Sussex were bundled out for 120 right on stumps.

Bird got the ball to swing and nip as he claimed three top-order scalps in two overs before Holland found some purchase to give Patterson two catches at slip. Pattinson blasted out the tail with pace to leave Australia A with just 11 runs to win on the final day.

LAS VEGAS -- At its annual meeting here during NBA summer league, the league's board of governors approved a pair of changes for next season: the use of a coach's challenge and the league's replay center initiating replay proceedings for certain types of plays.

The NBA's competition committee proposed both changes, and they earned unanimous support from the league's 30 teams.

The coach's challenge, which has been used in the NBA's G League for each of the past two seasons and has been in place for this year's version of the summer league, will be used next season by the NBA on a one-year trial basis.

Teams can use one challenge per game regardless of whether it is successful, and it can be utilized to question a variety of instances, including a called personal foul on the coach's own team, an out-of-bounds call, goaltending or basket interference. The challenge can be used at any point during the game. However, in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, any out of bounds, goaltending or basket-interference calls will be automatically triggered for review and are not challengeable.

To challenge a play, a team must have a timeout and call one after the play, and then its coach must twirl his finger toward the referees to signal for the challenge. If a team doesn't have a timeout and attempts to challenge a play, it will be charged a technical foul and no challenge will occur. There must be clear and conclusive visual evidence to overturn a call.

Meanwhile, the league's replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, is now able to instantly call for the review of two types of plays: whether a shot is a 2- or 3-pointer (both for made baskets to determine which it is, as well as when a player is fouled while shooting, to determine whether he gets two or three free throws), and for a potential shot-clock violation.

The league will now have a "courtside administrator," a new position hired and supervised by the NBA's league office, positioned at the scorer's table to speed up the communication between the replay center and the on-court referees.

As the Golden State Warriors waive three-time championship guard Shaun Livingston, his intention remains to return for a 16th season in the NBA, league sources told ESPN.

Livingston, who'll be 34 before the start of next season, joins a free-agent market that is full of contending teams searching for savvy, championship-hardened veterans to fortify benches.

Livingston, a versatile 6-foot-7, has shown himself to be one of the league's savviest players and strong locker room presences.

The Warriors will use the waive and stretch provision to spread the $2 million guarantee on Livingston's $7.7 million salary for 2019-20 over three seasons, sources tell ESPN's Bobby Marks.

The waive and stretch -- spreading $666,000 over three years -- keeps Golden State slightly under the $138.9 million tax apron.

The Warriors have made a push this offseason to get younger and more fit financially, trading Andre Iguodala and waiving Livingston now, after the loss of Kevin Durant to Brooklyn in free agency.

Livingston averaged 15 minutes a game over the past two seasons with the Warriors, where he spent the past five seasons.

CLEVELAND -- Commissioner Rob Manfred insists Major League Baseball did not make a deal with the Cleveland Indians about banning their contentious logo, Chief Wahoo.

The club agreed to remove the hotly debated, smiling caricature from its caps and jerseys starting this season, a decision that came after Cleveland was awarded the 2019 All-Star Game.

The timing was curious, but Manfred said there was no link between the two.

"The All-Star Game was awarded to Cleveland by Commissioner [Bud] Selig before I even had one conversation about Chief Wahoo,'' Manfred said. "You can write that as fact.''

Although the Wahoo logo, which has been around since the 1940s, is no longer on the field, the mascot is as popular as ever as fans continue to wear all kinds of merchandise bearing his image.

Two-city solution seen as way to preserve MLB in Tampa

Giving the Rays permission to explore playing part of their home schedule in Montreal is seen by baseball owners as "a way to preserve baseball in Tampa,'' according to Manfred.

Major League Baseball's executive council last month told Rays owner Stuart Sternberg he could explore the two-city possibility but did not specify a time frame. The Rays have been unsuccessful in gaining approval and financing in place for the new stadium they want in the Tampa Bay area.

"I think that it's just too early to make a judgment as to how likely it is to be successful,'' Manfred told the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. "I think that the approval from the June owners meeting was reflective of the fact that Stu has worked really hard over a long period of time on the Tampa side and the St. Pete side to try to get something done from a stadium perspective. And then it was sold to the owners, or to the executive council, as a way to preserve baseball in Tampa.''

Tampa Bay has played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg since the franchise took the field in 1998 and has a lease through 2027. The Rays are averaging about 15,500 fans per home game, 29th in the major leagues and ahead of only the Miami Marlins.

"To address what has been an ongoing issue, I think the owners are prepared to live with the idea that they would operate in two markets,'' Manfred said. "We have an issue in Tampa. It needs to get resolved somehow. If it means we give up a potential expansion site to solidify where we are, so be it."

Manfred said there had not been any discussion of a full movwe by the Rays. He also said MLB will remain at 30 teams for the foreseeable future.

"No way that we're biting into expansion until I get Tampa and Oakland resolved one way or the other,'' he said.

Extended protective netting ballpark-by-ballpark decision

Extending protective netting down foul lines is a ballpark-to-ballpark decision because of differing configurations, Manfred said.

Following a series of foul balls that injured fans, Major League Baseball mandated ahead of the 2018 season that netting extend to the far end of each dugout. Still, several fans have been hurt by foul balls this season.

"We recognized early in this process that it was very difficult to set an individual rule, one rule that applied to 30 different ballparks given their structural differences, and instead we have opted to work with the individual clubs over a period of time to extend netting,'' Manfred said Tuesday.

"We've made extensive progress on that and I believe that that progress will continue, and I think one of the reasons that we have had progress is that we have not put clubs in an impossible position by adopting a one size fits all rule.''

Manfred said changes during the midst of a season are hard to put in place.

"I don't think it's unreasonable to think that clubs are going to take a period of time [to] figure out what they can and can't do structurally before they announce what their plans are going to be,'' he said. "One injury is too many, but the fact of the matter is that we know because of the number of balls that hit into those nets, we had less incidents than we used to have. We are better off than we were, and I do believe we will continue to make progress on it.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will try to tee up their first Wimbledon meeting since the epic 2008 final when they headline the men's quarter-finals.

Eight-time champion Federer plays Japan's eighth seed Kei Nishikori second on Centre Court on Wednesday.

Top seed Novak Djokovic opens on the main show court against Belgium's 21st seed David Goffin at 13:00 BST.

Nadal faces American Sam Querrey on Court One after fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut takes on Guido Pella.

In the mixed doubles, Andy Murray and Serena Williams will be third on Court Two for their last-16 match against top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar.

Federer, who turns 38 next month, is the oldest player in a last-eight line-up featuring five players aged over 30, while Nishikori and Goffin are the youngest men left in the draw at the age of 28.

The Swiss great is the oldest men's quarter-finalist at the All England Club since American Jimmy Connors in 1991.

The old guard continue to lead the way

How the men's game will look when the power of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic eventually diminishes is something which has been discussed at length for a number of years now - and we are still no closer to knowing when that day will arrive.

The 'big three' have won the past 10 Grand Slams between them - Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 US Open was the last winner not from the trio - and few are looking past one of them lifting the Wimbledon trophy again on Sunday.

All three have sailed through the SW19 draw so far, dropping just one set apiece in reaching the quarter-finals.

Second seed Federer dropped just five games against young Italian Matteo Berretini, who was playing his first last-16 match at a Grand Slam.

Top seed Djokovic showed the gulf in class as he beat inexperienced Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-2 6-3, while third seed Nadal breezed past Portugal's Joao Sousa in a 6-2 6-2 6-2 victory.

"I think the best guys now are fully engaged, they know exactly what to expect from the court and the conditions. That helps us to play better," said Federer, who is bidding to reach his 13th Wimbledon semi-final.

"We haven't dropped much energy in any way. It's not like we're coming in with an empty tank into the second week.

"All these little things help us to then really thrive in these conditions."

Federer is aiming to earn his 100th win at the All England Club against Nishikori, and in doing so, will become the first player in singles history to do so at a single Grand Slam.

'Playing Djokovic is like playing a spider'

Goffin has matched his best performance at a Grand Slam by reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final, but trails 5-1 in his head-to-head record with four-time champion Djokovic.

The Belgian's coach Thomas Johansson, who famously earned a shock Australian Open title in 2002, said it is "almost impossible" to find any weaknesses in Djokovic's game.

"He doesn't have a big serve but it is very, very accurate. From the baseline he's a wall," the Swede said.

"I remember hitting with him many years ago - it's like hitting against a spider. It feels like everything is coming back.

"You really have to try to put him in uncomfortable positions on the court - otherwise he will kill you."

In reaching the semi-finals, Djokovic would join Boris Becker, Arthur Gore and Herbert Lawford in third place on the all-time list for last-four appearances at the All England Club.

Victory would also mark his 70th match win at Wimbledon, and would make him only the fourth man in the open era to achieve the feat after Federer, Becker and Connors.

Querrey's dangerous serve, Bautista Agut not dropped a set... don't rule out the rest

Querrey will be playing his third Wimbledon quarter-final in four years and looking to cause another upset after beating Britain's Andy Murray - who was injured and has not played in the singles at Wimbledon since - to reach his second semi-final in 2017.

The 32-year-old American is the only unseeded player in the men's singles quarter-finals and has thumped down 100 aces so far at this year's tournament, dropping just one service game and landing 86% of his first serves.

"My serve feels really good. I'm kind of locked in on it. I have got a good rhythm," he said.

"This is a tournament that rewards good servers. Everything feels right on my serve."

While Djokovic, Federer and Nadal take all the plaudits, 32-year-old Bautista Agut is actually the only man left who has not dropped a set yet.

His meeting with Pella marks their first on grass, and he would become only the sixth Spanish man in history to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Pella, meanwhile, would become the third Argentine man to do so, with both yet to experience a last-four tie at a Grand Slam.

Stats fans, listen up