The 19-year-old, making his debut on Centre Court, rattled home ace number 37 to seal a stunning 7-6), 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 victory over the Spaniard, who has now failed to make the quarter-final stage at SW19 since 2011.

Kyrgios, who saved nine match points during his second round win over Frenchman Richard Gasquet, secured a two sets to one lead after holding his nerve twice in tie-breaks.

The world number 144 finally managed to break the Nadal serve in the fourth set before going on to seal the biggest win of his career against the 14-time Grand Slam champion.

"I had nothing to lose out there playing against a player such as Rafael Nadal and had a sense of it not being the end of the world getting broken or even losing," said Kyrgios.

"I will always have an aggressive game, play free, back myself under pressure and that will give me the best chance to win matches.

"My serve was something that got me over the line.

"It helped me put pressure on his serve.

"It hasn't sunk it yet.

"I was overwhelmed with every emotion.

"I turned to my box to share the moment with them."

Nadal, 27, admitted the Australian's serve was the decisive weapon.

"When you have an opponent who decides to hit the ball really strong and serve like that you are in trouble," he said. 

"I don't think that I played badly.

"I hadn't seen him playing on the other surfaces, grass is only two three tournaments a year, but when you serve that big you will always have a chance."

Nadal's loss to Kyrgios means he has failed to make the last eight at Wimbledon since 2011 ©Getty Images



Kyrgios now takes on Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic who came through 4-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 against 10th seed Kei Nishikori from Japan.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer set up a quarter-final clash with compatriot Stan Wawrinka after a straight forward 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over American Tommy Robredo.

Australian Open champion Wawrinka was pushed a little harder by Feliciano Lopez but still managed to come through in straight sets 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 against the Spaniard.

"It will be amazing to play Stan in the quarter-finals here, hopefully on Centre Court, because things like that don't happen too often in Swiss sport," said Federer.

"I'm pleased with the way I am playing.

"I'm moving well, serving well and doing all the things right that you need to be doing to go deep into this tournament."

Roger Federer cruised through his match with Tommy Robredo to set up a quarter-final clash with compatriot Stan Wawrinka ©Getty Images



Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova's quest to win a second Wimbledon singles title 10 years on from her first were ended by German ninth seed Angelique Kerber who needed seven match points to eventually seal a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory in their rain delayed fourth round match.

The Russian made 43 unforced errors during the match, with three in succession costing her in the first set tie-break.

The 27-year-old broke Kerber in the second to level at one set all, but the German hit back straight away at the start of the third to break Sharapova's serve.

Despite a titanic effort from the French Open champion, who staved off six match points, she missed the baseline at the seventh time of asking to exit the tournament.

"It's absolutely normal for people to have high expectations of me doing well in Grand Slam stages," said Sharapova afterwards.

"I certainly do, as well.

"Today could have gone either way, and it didn't go my way."

Despite saving six match points, Maria Sharapova eventually succumbed to Angelique Kerber ©Getty Images



Kerber will play Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the quarter-finals, while compatriot Sabine Lisicki will face Romania's Simona Halep in the last eight after both came through their fourth round ties against Kazakhstani opponents.

Lisicki beat Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 while third seed Halep dispatched world number 72 Zarina Diyas, 6-3, 6-0.

The semi-finalists in the other half of the women's draw have been decided and will see an all Czech Republic clash in a women's Grand Slam for the first time since Hana Mandlikova and Helena Sukova at the 1986 French Open.

Lucie Safarova needed just 58 minutes to seal a first-ever Grand Slam semi-final berth with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ekaterina Makarova.

Safarova knew she would be facing a compatriot if she got through her match, as the other quarter-final featured 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova.

Both players were last onto Centre Court at the end of a packed day's play and Kvitova was determined to not hang around longer than needed by racing through the first set 6-1.

Zahlavova-Strycova put up a great deal more resistance in the second, but it was her 24-year-old compatriot who eventually prevailed taking the second set 7-5.

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