With Sunday’s traditional hiatus about the only thing proceeding uninterrupted at the All England Club, fifth-seeded Wawrinka was forced to wait until Monday to play Denis Istomin in the third round, while others in his half of the men’s draw - including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - moved safely through to the last 16 two days earlier.

Thus, Wawrinka has to back-up on Tuesday against grasscourt danger-man Feliciano Lopez, who endured a similar delay before toppling ninth seed John Isner - while simultaneously confirming the United States’ worst collective singles result at Wimbledon since 1911.

The winner will then need to return in less than 24 hours for a quarter-final against either Federer or Tommy Robredo. Should either Wawrinka or Lopez go all the way to Sunday’s final, it would constitute a fifth best-of-five-setter in seven days. And, according to Wawrinka, it could all have been avoided.

“First, (to play a) five-set match, it's never easy,’’ said the world No.3, having just equalled his Wimbledon best. “But if you look for this week, me or Lopez/Isner have to play three matches in three days, five-set match. It's terrible for the body.

“For sure I was disappointed. I was expecting them to move matches (on Saturday), move maybe juniors or doubles, to make my match or Isner/Lopez match first on when they start at five or six (pm) again when it stop raining... You can not do anything. You have to accept. They do what they want and you just follow.’’

Wawrinka’s coach, Magnus Norman, had earlier described as inhuman such a second-week workload, but at least Monday’s progress came relatively quickly, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

“I'm not looking about the final, I'm looking about the next match now. I know if I want to get through, it's going to be a really tough week,’’ Wawrinka said. “I'm happy with the way I'm playing, playing really aggressive, serving well. To do it in three sets was perfect day: one hour and 40 minutes. Now I'm going to take some treatment and rest and get ready for tomorrow.’’

There will be no next day for 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, who had been the highest seed remaining in the Czech-dominated bottom half of the women’s draw. The world No.4 was thrashed 6-3, 6-0 by Ekaterina Makarova, the Pole’s nemesis in two of the past four majors, who now plays Lucie Safarova.

But the most likely finalist from that section appears to be 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, who next plays Caroline Wozniacki’s conquerer, unseeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. In the top half, the impressive Eugenie Bouchard took out the woman who had toppled Serena Williams, Alize Cornet, to move into the probable path of the title favourite, Maria Sharapova. The weather prevented the French Open winner from starting her fourth round match against Angelique Kerber, while the Simona Halep-Zarina Diaz and Sabine Lisicki-Yaroslava Shvedova matches will also be played on Tuesday..

Defending men’s champion Andy Murray appeared to be cruising when he led Kevin Anderson by two sets and a double break, only to return after the rain delay, indoors, to a different match. Murray was forced to save a set point in his first real test of the tournament, before winning  6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). Next for him comes Queen’s Club winner Grigor Dimitrov, who eliminated Leonardo Mayer in straight sets.

Murray, though, had little sympathy for Wawrinka. "Sometimes the scheduling works in your favor. Sometimes the weather works in your favor. You just have to get on with it,'' he said. "It's worked against me many times and many other players. You just have to deal with it. Someone told me the other day that Navratilova once played 17 matches in the second week, so I think we shouldn't really worry about it."

Wednesday’s second quarter-final will feature Novak Djokovic - who showed no signs of shoulder soreness in an imperious display against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach his 20th consecutive grand slam quarter-final - and Marin Cilic, who belted 33 aces past Jeremy Chardy to qualify for his first in almost two years.

Novak felt a twinge in his sore shoulder in the third set tiebreak, and needed some treatment after his 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 win overTsonga.

His attitude to the schedule chaos was at odds with Murray - he supported Warinka's complaints and called for a review of the Sunday rest-day policy.

"I understand why Wawrinka was complaining, because we have this tradition here of the middle Sunday not being played any match.  This tradition was broken a couple of times, and I remember a few years ago it was the case when they actually had to play a few matches.

"So I think we have to rethink about this Sunday in between, because the day was beautiful.  It was no rain, and the whole day there was no match played.  No other Grand Slam has this particular rule.

"We all know that tradition is something that is nurtured here in All England Club, and we respect that.  But there are some rules that I believe should be updated, changed, you know, for the better of the schedule and for the better of the players.''

RESULTS

Men Round 3

19-Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt 9-John Isner (USA) 6-7(8) 7-6(6) 7-6(3) 7-5.

5-Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-3 6-3 6-4.

10-Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt LL-Simone Bolelli (ITA) 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-4.

Rd 4

1-Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt 14-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 6-3 6-4 7-6(5).

11-Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-4 7-6(6) 6-2.

3-Andy Murray (GBR) bt 20-Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-4 6-3 7-6(6).

26-Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-6(8) 6-4 6-4.

Women Round 3

19-Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt 11-Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 6-4 3-6 6-1.

Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Madison Keys (USA) 7-6(7) 6-6 ret.

Rd 4

22-Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 6-3 6-0.

6-Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-3 6-2.

13-Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt 25-Alize Cornet (FRA) 7-6(5) 7-5.

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) bt 16-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 6-2 7-5.

23-Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Q-Tereza Smitkova (CZE) 6-0 6-2.

Men’s Doubles

Round 2

Chris Guccione/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt 7-Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) 7-5 6-3 6-4.

1-Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP)/Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-3 6-4 6-2.

12-Michael Llodra/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Johan Brunstrom (SWE)/Frederik Nielsen (DEN) 6-3 6-4 6-2.

9-Julian Knowle (AUT)/Marcelo Melo (BRA) bt Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ)/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-1 7-6(9) 6-3.

2-Alexander Peya (AUT)/Bruno Soares (BRA) bt Martin Klizan (SVK)/Dominic Thiem (AUT) 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2.

Women’s Doubles

Rd 2

5-Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)/Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) w/o.

6-Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua (AUS) bt Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-4 6-2.

10-Julia Gorges/Anna-Lena Gronefeld (GER) bt Eva Hrdinova (CZE)/Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-4 6-2.

Andrea Petkovic (GER)/Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) bt Q-Jarmila Gajdosova/Arina Rodionova (AUS) 6-2 7-5.

14-Timea Babos (HUN)/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI)/Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-1 6-3.

9-Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS)/Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-4 6-1.

Mixed Doubles

Round 2

Eric Butorac (USA)/Timea Babos (HUN) bt 4-Leander Paes (IND)/Cara Black (ZIM) 1-6 6-2 6-3.

14-Max Mirnyi (BLR)/Chan Hao-Ching (TPE) bt Tomasz Bednarek (POL)/Vania King (USA) 7-6(5) 6-4.