Tennis: Quiet, Please! Wimbledon Day 8

Sabine Lisicki is the first German semifinalist at Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1999. Photo / Getty Images

The ladies were in action on day eight of the Wimbledon Championships overnight, with four Europeans reaching the semifinals. Maria Sharapova is the oldest of a youthful semifinal lineup at 24 - the other three are all just 21.

Kate Middleton caused a stir with her appearance at the All England Club on the previous day. After the Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Wimbledon, it took 30 minutes for the Temperley dress she was wearing to sell-out online.

It took twice as long for Maria Sharapova to destroy Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 6-1. Sharapova is the only remaining Grand Slam champion in the draw and a match-up of two screech queens is very much on the cards for the final.

Just imagine Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka battling it out in the final with a closed roof, wailing at the top of their lungs. Actually, don't imagine - listen to it here.

Sabine Lisicki is the first German semifinalist at Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1999. Lisicki beat Energizer bunny Marion Bartoli in three sets to set up a date with Sharapova in the final four.

Azarenka is matched up against Petra Kvitova, after outclassing Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-1. Kvitova is in the semifinals for a second year running and is hoping to become the first female Czech winner since Jana Novotna in 1998.

There was good news on Rafael Nadal's foot injury: he's ready to reel in Mardy Fish after receiving the all clear from an MRI scan. Fish is the lone American left in the men's quarterfinal draw, which gets underway tomorrow. The No 10 seed has dropped serve just once so far and is looking confident on grass.

Andy Murray was stoked to meet the Royal Couple, but admitted on Twitter he needs to sort out his appearance.

"...I'd just come off court was sweaty and disheveled, couldn't have looked less presentable would have at least had a shave if I'd known they were coming!"

One man who is prepared for anything is Wayne Davis, the official falconer. Every day at 6am, Davis takes to Centre Court with his hawk Rufus to scare off the pigeons at the stadium.

"I can't say Rufus never catches the birds but the point is that it's a deterrent. The last thing you want is him taking birds on to court and plucking them there," Davis said.

- HERALD ONLINE