WIMBLEDON, England — This was a cranky Rafael Nadal, an aching Nadal, a Nadal who asked for a trainer to treat his arm and his thigh, whose dialogue with his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, caused chair umpire Cedric Mourier to twice admonish the No. 2 seed to knock off the chatter.
And still Nadal, the 2008 Wimbledon champion who missed the chance to defend his title last year because of a knee injury, tapped into his reserve tank of energy, took to heart whatever advice he was getting from Uncle Toni and, for the second match in a row, won a five-setter.
This one, a 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3 victory against Philipp Petzschner on Saturday, puts Nadal into a fourth-round match Monday against Paul-Henri Mathieu, one of three Frenchmen who have lasted this long — one more than the U.S.
Sam Querrey joined Andy Roddick as the only American men in the fourth round after he eliminated Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 9-7 just before it became too dark to play.
An anticipated women's fourth-round match was finalized when Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova won Saturday.
Williams, the top seed and defending champion, beat Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 7-5, and Sharapova, seeded 16th, used almost two hours and had a game able to withstand bushels of unforced errors while beating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-5, 6-3.
It was Nadal, though, whose alternating mood swings and injuries consumed the energy of both the Centre Court fans and of Mourier, who lectured the Spaniard at one point to "Stop the coaching."
Nadal said the warning was unfair. And while he usually will not admit to any physical problems, he conceded Saturday all is not well.
"I have a little bit of a problem in the right knee," Nadal said.
Nadal said the knee has bothered him since he lost to Roddick last March at Key Biscayne.
"I didn't like to say anything at that moment because when you lose, it looks like an excuse," Nadal said.
Williams had no excuses for her downcast appearance after she finished off her 68-minute win. Though she had 20 aces, 37 winners and only nine unforced errors, she suggested her level needed to improve.
"I could have played better in the second set," Williams said. "I kind of came off the gas.
"Hopefully I can keep serving well. But I have to play better than I did today. I'm just glad to get into the second week."
dpucin@tribune.com