FRENCH OPEN 2008: Women's Quarterfinals

The 2008 Roland Garros Quarterfinals are almost set. The second Grand Slam of the year is reaching its second week without either of the Williams sisters, who lost within hours of each other in the 3rd round.

Dinara Safina RUS (13) Maria Sharapova RUS (1) vs. Elena Dementieva RUS (7). For the second time in three years "Marat's little sister" has defeated the WTA's "It Girl" at the toughest Grand Slam in the fourth round. But not only did Dinara Safina beat Sharapova at the French Open, she came back from an almost impossibly lost position to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Again. In 2006, Safina was down 1-5 in the 3rd set against her Russian compatriot and ended up winning the match 7-5 by losing only 3 of the last 31 points. This year Sharapova held a match point on her serve at 5-3 in the second set but lost that point and the set in a tiebreak. The third set was pretty close, but Safina prevailed 6-2 to end Sharapova's chances of a career or calendar Grand Slam. Safina goes on to face Elena Dementieva, who had a surprisingly difficult time defeating Vera Zvonareva in 3-sets. This quarterfinal should be the humdinger of the four. PREDICTION: Safina in 3 sets.

Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (4) vs. Kaia Kanepi EST or Petra Kvitova CZE. Every two years Svetlana Kuznetsova seems to be breakthrough at the French. In 2006 Kuznetsova reached the French Open final before losing to Justine Henin in a match in which only one player (Henin) competed. However, Kuznetsova has been playing well since that final and although her ranking has fallen to #4 recently (from her high of #2) it is theoretically possible for her to reach the #1 position her friend Justine vacated a ew weeks before the tournament, and who has also said she would like Kuznetsova to replace the Belgian as the French Open titleist. PREDICTION: Kuznetsova in 2 sets.



Carla Suarez Navarro ESP vs. Jelena Jankovic SRB (3). With the retirement of the 4-time and defending French Open champion Justine Henin alll eyes turned to Serbian Jelena Jankovic (and Ana Ivanovic) as the two highest ranked players yet to win a major title (Jankovic hasn't even reached a major final, while her Serbian "sister" has been in 2 in the last year). However, at this tournament Jankovic has been struggling to win against lower ranked players and complaining about the heavy conditions ausing injury while playing with large portions of her bidy wrapped. Regardless, she should have more than enough game against a surprise quarterfinalist Mad Professah had never even heard of to make her second consecutive Grand Slam final, where she lost to the eventual champion, Maria Sharapova. However, she will be facing Ivanovic who has looked the sharpest of all the top players, and who has beaten her Serb compatriot 5 times of the 6 matches they have played.
PREDICTION: Jankovic in 2 sets.


Patty Schnyder SUI (10) vs. Ana Ivanovic SRB (2). Ana Ivanovic is playing the 2008 Roland Garros tournament like a woman on a mission after being embarassed by Justine Henin in the 2007 Roland Garros final. Her fourth round match was a 6-0, 6-0 rout of Petra Cetkovska.
Patty Schnyder is a crafty lefty player who took Sharapova to a 3-set match last year (which she should have won) and is always a difficult opponent on any surface. With the departure of Henin and Sharapova, Ivanovic is the player to beat in order to win the title, and I'm doubtful anyone left in the draw will be able to do that.
PREDICTION: Ivanovic in 3 sets.