Quarterfinals Preview

It's Quarterfinal time at the 2011 French Open! 8 players remain in both the men's and women's draws, and over the next two days, that number will be down to 4. Actually, one player has already gained a berth in the semifinals. Fabio Fognini withdrew from Roland Garros, and thus his opponent, Novak Djokovic, automatically is into the semis. Also, and a bit more misleading, one Round of 16 match still must be completed. A hobbled Andy Murray lost the first two sets to Viktor Troicki, but he fought back and won two in a row, setting up one set for the right to advance to the semifinal. After the jump, we're going to take a look at all of the quarterfinals currently set up, and when the Murray-Troicki match is finalized, we'll have a preview up for that one.
Men's QF Number One: Rafael Nadal vs. Robin Soderling
After the dramatic five setter that Nadal won in the first round against American John Isner, he has not dropped a set. Robin Soderling lost a set to American Ryan Harrison, but after that he has not lost a set. This is the third consecutive year that these two have met in the French Open, with Soderling pulling off the huge upset in 2009 but losing in the final last year. This should be a great match, and while all signs point to Soderling pulling off the upset once again, Nadal does always seem to rise to the occasion. I did pick Soderling over Nadal in this round,   and this is the best chance for Soderling to make the leap from occasional cart-wagon overturner to consistent contender. Will he do that? Or will the King of Clay keep his throne? This quarterfinal is by far the most anticipated of them. It shouldn't disappoint


Men's QF Number Two: Murray/Troicki vs. Juan Ignacio Chela
This is to be determined, but whoever comes out on top between Murray and Troicki should be the heavy favorite. Chela is a very solid journeyman player, but Murray and Troicki are at a higher level. For an injured Murray, this would be a winnable quarterfinal, but for Troicki, who has never been past the Round of 16 in any major, then this would be an unbelievable opportunity for him.


Men's QF Number Three: Gael Monfils vs. Roger Federer
After Nadal-Soderling, this is the second most highly anticipated match. Federer has coasted through this tournament, not losing a set and looking like the Federer of old. Monfils, on the other hand, had one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament, beating David Ferrer 9-7 in the fifth set. He has got to be riding high off that win, but, because of the scheduling, he had to finish the match today and will not get a day off. That might tire him, so that adds a level of intrigue. These two met in 2009, and it was highly contested 4 setter that Federer won. Federer has to be the favorite here, but the wild cards are Monfils athleticism and the partisan French crowd. Against any other opponent, Federer is by far the more well-loved by the Parisians, but Monfils is the best chance for a French major win, and the French are well aware of this.


Men's QF Number Four: Novak Djokovic def. Fabio Fognini (Walkover)
Fognini withdrew with a leg injury from his Round of 16 classic, so Djokovic is into the semifinals. This is actually significant because this is not counted towards  Djokovic's win streak, meaning he cannot break the all time win streak at this tournament.


Women's QF Number One: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Marion Bartoli
Kuznetsova, a former champion here, has looked dreadful this year, but something about the Parisian red clay has caused a resurgence in form, bringing her to the quarterfinals. She has benefited from a good draw, but she has had to take advantage of it, which has not been easy for her. Bartoli, the unconventional Italian who plays with two hands off both sides, has periods of play where she looks like a top player, but consistency has been her issue. This should be a back and forth battle, but Kuznetsova has the experience edge.


Women's QF Number Two: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Francesca Schiavone
Pavlyuchenkova, besides being a commentator and blogger's worst nightmare (It took me a good 5 minutes to get that name right), is a solid player who pulled off her biggest win by beating number three seed Vera Zvonareva. There were many questions about Schiavone's form coming into this tournament, but she has answered these questions, beating Jelena Jankovic in a tight match, and this should be a very manageable quarterfinal for the Italian.


Women's QF Number Three: Na Li vs. Victoria Azarenka
This is the most compelling quarterfinal on the women's side. Azarenka has long been pegged as a future grand slam winner, and her play in recent months has increased the hype that this could be her chance. Na Li, on the other hand, had a record run in the 2011 Australian Open, beating world number one Caroline Wozniacki but losing a close match to Kim Clijsters in the final. Her play dropped off quickly after, and was written off, but her resurgence in this tournament has shown that perhaps Australia wasn't a fluke. This should be a back and forth affair, and while Azarenka looks to be the big favorite, counting out Li is never a sure thing.


Women's QF Number Four: Maria Sharapova vs. Andrea Petkovic
This is the other highly anticipated match-up. Petkovic has been on a tear this year, beating Sharapova in Australia but losing to her in Miami, but that was after beating Wozniacki and Jankovic. Sharapova, while never having much success on clay, pulled off the very improbable win in Rome, and looks to be playing much better tennis than she has in a while. The experience edge that Sharapova has over Petkovic will come into play, but if Petkovic can rise to the occasion, there's no reason she cant beat the Russian. 


The tennis is found on Tennis Channel in the morning, ESPN2 in the afternoon, and espn3.com and tennischannel.com. Enjoy!