2 unseeded players to compete in French Open quarterfinals

Sorana Cirstea and Maria Sharapova, both unseeded, are two of the last eight women standing at Roland Garros. Sharapova is unseeded, of course, because she has been off the tour for ten months, but her survival in the final eight of the French Open is no less impressive for her having once been number 1 in the world.

Dinara Safina vs. Victoria Azarenka: The world number 1 has been described as a buzzsaw this week. In four rounds, she has given up only five games, and her average match time has been fifty-nine minutes. There is no doubt that she is rested. And while some people thought that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Aravane Rezai might give Safina a bit of trouble, there is little doubt that Azarenka will. The odd thing is that--until very recently--Azarenka appeared awkward and lost on red clay. Suddenly, though, she has found her form, taking out two clay experts and the defending champion. Azarenka is hardly a cool character on the court; she gets easily rattled, but it doesn't stop her from winning. Expect a real contest.

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Maria Sharapova: Last year, Cibulkova and Sharapova competed in the Amelia Island final on green clay. Cibulkova looked as though she were going to win, but then she sustained an injury and her level went down considerably for the remainder of the match. The following month, Sharapova defeated her in three sets in Rome. Cibulkova is often injured, and therefore doesn't always get the competitive momentum she needs. Still, she is more comfortable on clay than Sharapova, and should give the Russian star all she can handle.

Sorana Cirstea vs. Samantha Stosur: One way or the other, we will have a so-called surpise semifinalist. The unseeded Cirstea, who took out Jelena Jankovic, plays the 30th seed, who defeated Elena Dementieva. Stosur has been slowly making a comeback, after being out ill for a very long time. With her outstanding serve and her volleying skills, the affable Australian doubles star has the potential to go far; unfortunately, she has also had a major problem with the mental aspect of the game. But not in Paris. Since she arrived at Roland Garros, Stosur has dictated play with ease.

Cirstea stunned the crowd with her all-court skills and her poise during her tense round of 16 match. But she appeared tired in the last set, and there is a question as to whether she can be refreshed for a quarterfinal match. If she is, the contest against Stosur could be quite intriguing. Both players have strong forehands, and--since they have never played each other before--there will be an element of mystery in the competition.

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Serena Williams: Kuznetsova and Williams know each other's games very well. Kuznetsova is the ultimate clay court master with a sometimes weak mentality, and Williams is the champion who finds a way to win, even on surfaces she doesn't prefer. They can both serve extremely well, and they can both move well. When she is in tune, Kuznetsova's forehand can be deadly.

Kuznetsova and Williams have played each other on clay only once before, in 2004, and Williams won. In fact, Williams dominates their head-to-head record. Whether Kuznetsova plays the clay game of which she is capable depends on her state of mind. If she can hold steady, this could be a very tight match.