Men’s Quarter-finalists
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) is on a mission and so is his opponent [5] Alexander Zverev (GER). Their head-to-head is tied 2:2 with Zverev winning their only encounter on clay. However, Zverev has been struggling to find his confidence and that may play right into the hands of the Serbian.
[4] Dominic Thiem (AUT) will like to get back to the final and perhaps go one step further; however, he will have to get by [10] Karen Khachanov (RUS) first. The Russian is into his first major quarterfinals and won their only previous meeting in 2018. Khachanov seems fired up, so expect some fireworks between these two.
[3] Roger Federer (SUI) will meet his countryman [24] Stan Wawrinka. Wawrinka expended a lot of energy in the fourth round to defeat [6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE), perhaps he won’t have anything left in the tank. His chances were already slim with Federer leading their head-to-head 22:3; however, interesting, the last time Wawrinka was able to defeat Federer was in 2015 at Roland Garros.
[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) will meet a familiar foe, [7] Kei Nishikori (JPN). Nadal knows that Nishikori can rise to the occasion; however, he also knows that he has won every encounter on clay (10) and that the only two times that Nishikori was able to defeat him was on the hard courts. Yet, Nadal will take nothing for granted because this is a major and everyone wants the trophy.
Women’s Quarterfinals
[8] Ashleigh Barty (AUS) will play [14] Madison Keys (USA) for a chance to get to the semifinals. They are tied 1:1 with the American winning the only clay encounter in the first round of the 2017 French Open. A lot have changed since then, so expect this to be a battle.
[3] Simona Halep (ROU) will face the upstart of the tournament, [51] Amanda Anisimova (USA). The seventeen-year-old American has made it to her first major quarterfinals without dropping a set; yet, she knows that when she faces the defending champion for the first time things will be a lot tougher.
[7] Sloane Stephens (USA) gets [26] Johanna Konta (GBR), who seems to have found the secret of playing on clay. Last year’s finalist will have her hands full because she lost the two times they played. Unfortunately for Stephens both of those losses came earlier this season (one on clay), so hopefully she has a new plan to defeat Konta.
[31] Petra Martic (CRO) will battle the teenage Czech player that has been playing like a veteran; however, [38] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) lost all four times they met. Will Martic continue her stellar play and get to her first major semifinals? The quarterfinals here is already the furthest she has gotten in a major in her eleven years on tour.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: Zimbio.com (Getty Images Europe-main image: Dominic Thiem)
