Two dramatic women’s quarterfinals and two relatively straightforward men’s quarterfinals highlighted the action on Tuesday at the French Open.

Gulbis Becomes a Contender

Ernests Gulbis may not be endearing himself by way of some of his opinions or actions, but after a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win against sixth seed Tomas Berdych, he has become a contender for a title at Roland Garros. If there was any question of a Gulbis letdown after defeating Roger Federer, the Latvian put that to bed early as he stormed out to a 4-0 start in the first set. Gulbis closed out the first set with little resistance.

The 18th seed carried his momentum into the second set, breaking early and racing to a two-set lead just 71 minutes into the match. Gulbis broke again early in the third set and closed out the match in less than two hours, advancing to his first career Grand Slam semifinal.

Gulbis stated, “This is very special, I am very happy to share it with you (the crowd). It was my best match of the tournament so far. Everything worked.”

For the sixth seed, it was close but no reward at a Grand Slam once again. “I was not in shape to cause damage today. I didn't push him”, a disappointed Berdych stated.

Gulbis will meet Novak Djokovic next with a spot in the final at stake. Regardless of the outcome, he will be on the doorstep of a top-10 ranking at tournament's end.

Djokovic Powers into Semifinals

Second-seeded Novak Djokovic and Milos Raonic had played a tightly contested match on clay prior to the French Open in Rome. However, despite a gallant effort by Raonic, that was not to be the case at Roland Garros as the Serb advanced with a 7-5 7-6 6-4 win over the Canadian.

Despite failing to take a set in the match, Raonic tested Djokovic in the first two sets on Tuesday, particularly on service games. The big server dished out 21 aces in the match to keep within striking distance. But after a second-set tiebreak went the Serb’s way, Raonic appeared deflated as he sank into a 5-1 deficit in the third set. To his credit, he fought back to close the gap. Raonic could not take the set from Djokovic's grasp, however, as the world No. 2 claimed the victory.

Afterwards, Djokovic showed respect for the powerful Raonic serve, “It was difficult to return and important for me to keep concentration, but I'm delighted to be in the semifinals.” Djokovic holds a 4-1 head-to-head advantage against Gulbis with his one loss occurring in 2009 on the hard courts at Brisbane.

Sharapova Comes Back Again

Giant-killer Garbine Muguruza appeared to be on her way to slaying another high seed, jumping on top of seventh seed Maria Sharapova 6-1 in the first set. However, as was the case against Sam Stosur in the round of 16, Sharapova fought back for a 1-6 7-5 6-1 win. She advanced to her fourth straight semifinal at Roland Garros.

After a slow start, Sharapova won nine of the last 10 games, taking control of the match and wearing down her young opponent. The former French Open champion addressed her determination. “This year, to come back, I have the extra motivation to go further, and to be back on (this) stage is a really nice feeling,” said the Russian.

In what has been her method of operation, Sharapova has shown the ability to turn an unfavorable match in her favor, dictate play, and wear down her opponent with a barrage of powerful groundstrokes. By the third set, those shots had driven Muguruza into a defensive retreat, sealing Sharapova's victory. Sharapova will face another mentally strong player in Eugenie Bouchard in the semifinals.

Bouchard Rallies to Advance

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard rallied from not one but two deficits to defeat Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (4) 2-6 7-5. Suarez Navarro jumped out to a fast start, gaining a 5-2 advantage in the opening set. However, Bouchard battled back to force a tiebreak that she won to take the set. The Spaniard quickly seized momentum again, fighting back to take the second set and continuing her momentum into the third set.

Before Bouchard could stop the bleeding, she found herself forced to rally again, down 4-1 in the final set. Showing the grit and determination that she is becoming noted for, Bouchard closed strongly, stringing breaks of Suarez Navarro together while strengthening her service games to complete the comeback.

Addressing her rally, Bouchard commented, “I wouldn't say I surprised myself. I've come back in matches before. Tennis can be like that, a bit up and down. I just really tried to forget about what the score was or anything and just tried to play the right way.”

She will advance to face her idol growing up in Sharapova. Bouchard reflected, “I remember when she won Wimbledon I was watching her on TV, and I thought, 'Wow, what she's doing is cool. I want to do the same.’ She was a source of inspiration for me at the time, and therefore she was an idol for me when I was younger.”

With the victory, Bouchard advances to her second Grand Slam semifinal in as many events.