(CNN) -- Defending Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal could be forced out of the tournament through injury after battling past Juan Martin Del Potro in their last 16 clash.
The world number one suffered a foot injury in the opening set of his four hour epic against the Argentine but battled through the pain to triumph 7-6 3-6 7-6 6-4 in front of the watching Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Nadal was forced to call for the doctor after sustaining his injury and though he won the first set of the clash, he moved gingerly around the court in the second as Del Potro took it with relative ease.
Nadal survives injury scare to beat brave Del Potro
But Nadal regained his form in the third and fourth sets to set up a quarterfinal tie with American 10th seed Mardy Fish -- if he gets a clean bill of health.
"I have to go to do an MRI. I don't know right now, I cannot predict the future but I am worried for sure," the Spaniard told reporters.
"I felt really bad at 6-5 in the first set. I thought I had broken my foot at that moment. I asked for the trainer when the game was done. I didn't know if I will have the chance to continue playing.
"I don't know what the problem is, it seems to be a problem with the bone in the foot. I thought I would have to retire at the end of the first set because there was a lot of pain.
"But the tape changed the situation. Now I will have to check with the doctors and the physios.
"Something is there. At 6-5, I pushed hard with the forehand. I felt something crushed there in the back of the foot."
(SOURCE: CNN)
