The first two women’s quarterfinals at the Australian Open feature women from three different continents.  The two favorites each have won a major title and reached the final in Melbourne before.  More than a decade separates their two challengers, each of whom contests her first Australian Open quarterfinal.

A Warm Welcome: Ana Ivanovic vs. Eugenie Bouchard

This is a quarterfinal that few, if any, had penciled into their brackets.  For Ivanovic, this quarterfinal represents a welcome back to the kind of results she should be posting at the major events.  It is a signal that she is ready to return to the upper echelons of the game.  For Bouchard, this quarterfinal showing is a welcome to the party.  It is the Canadian teenager’s first time reaching a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and based on what we have seen from her thus far in her young career, it should be the first of many.

There is no way to gauge whether one woman holds an edge over the other, because this match is not going to be about the x’s and o’s.  Both are adept baseline players, and while each will hold a slight edge over the other in various departments, this match is still primarily about what is going on mentally with each competitor.

Ivanovic must be in ecstasy.  After securing an impressive win over Samantha Stosur in the third round, she backed it up in stunning fashion by securing her first victory over world No. 1 Serena Williams.  Ivanovic played nearly flawless tennis to earn both of those wins, and she looks a good bet to continue her run.  But now she will face a different kind of pressure.  She is suddenly the second-highest seed left in this half.  As the veteran with all of the experience, she is now the player expected to win when she steps out against Bouchard.  And we have all seen many players struggle to come down to earth and back up a big win like Ivanovic’s victory over Williams.

Bouchard will not be feeling the same kind of pressure as Ivanovic.  As a young upstart with seemingly her whole career ahead of her, she is unlikely to be feeling pressure to the same degree as the Serb either.  But that does not mean that she will be immune to it.  This is the Canadian’s first outing in a major quarterfinal.  As a former top junior player and the No. 1 player from Canada, there are a lot of expectations resting on her shoulders that could create pressure.

The pressure could mount for each woman, too, as both are no doubt keenly aware that based on their head-to-head record, this is both a winnable and a losable match.  Most might assume based on her current form that Ivanovic would have a winning record against the Canadian, yet it is Bouchard who emerged victorious in their lone encounter, which also came at a major.  Bouchard defeated Ivanovic in the second round of Wimbledon last year, and she did so in routine fashion, 6-3 6-3.  Of course, that was then, and this is now.

Both players will need to avoid dwelling on what has happened in the past.  They also will have to guard against looking too far into the future.  This match is about the present, and the present alone.

Opportunity Knocks: Li Na vs. Flavia Pennetta

It is said that the complexion of a match can change with the single swing of a racquet.  So too can the complexion of an entire tournament be changed with a single result.  When Ana Ivanovic got the better of Serena Williams, that significantly raised the title hopes for the rest of the field.  While all were undoubtedly grateful to see the No. 1 seed dismissed, perhaps none were more so than a couple of veterans.  Both aged 31, Li and Pennetta are well aware that the window on their careers will close soon.  Both also understand the golden opportunity before them now that the top half has suddenly become wide open.  But who will seize it?

Li has the edge when it comes to picking a likely winner, but she is by no means the overwhelming favorite that she appears to be at first glance.  Granted, she is ranked No. 4 compared to Pennetta’s ranking of No. 29, but that is a deceptive No. 29.  The Italian is actually a former top-10 players who has done a remarkable job of rebuilding her ranking after missing the better part of the last two years due to a right wrist injury.  Thus, Pennetta is unlikely to be intimidated by her fourth-ranked opponent.

When it comes to their playing styles, both women do the bulk of their work from the baseline.  Li will have the advantage here, for her ground strokes are more penetrating off both wings.  Pennetta has the better transitional game, though.  She is a former No. 1 in doubles, so she knows her way around the forecourt.  If she is able to get there with enough frequency, she could take Li out of her comfort zone.

Past history suggests whichever woman is able to take the other out of her comfort zone first will be the victor.  The pair has met four times.  They have split those four meetings, and none of those encounters has reached a third set.  That said, their four previous meetings took place between 2000 and 2010.  A lot has changed since then, so perhaps both are approaching this match as though starting with a clean slate.

One piece of history Li will not want to erase from the memory bank, however, is her past results at this tournament.  Pennetta is making only her second appearance in Week 2 of the Australian Open.  In contrast, Li’s most consistent results at a major have come in Melbourne.  She has reached the final in two of the last three years, including last season.  With Serena Williams now gone, Li might feel confident that she is destined to reach the finals a third time.

In the end, this match will come down to who manages their nerves best.  Both women know that these kinds of opportunities are growing ever fewer, so it is imperative to take advantage of them when they present themselves.  Li looks the more poised to do so, but both women have a good look at advancing beyond this quarterfinal.