One of only two top-10 women remaining in the draw, Ana Ivanovic has not reached a major semifinal since she won this tournament seven long years ago. Lucie Safarova, who will crack the top 10 after the tournament, aims for her second semifinal in four majors against an opponent whom she never has faced before.

Ana Ivanovic vs. Elina Svitolina

The number of upsets at this year's Roland Garros has opened the door for other players, and in the case of Ana Ivanovic, it has resulted in an outright reversal of fortune.  The Serb was initially viewed as a likely candidate to make an early exit, but she now finds herself as the highest seed and a favorite to come through the bottom half of the draw.  She will next take on the young Elina Svitolina for a spot in the semifinals.

There is no question that Ivanovic is in a better position to control the outcome of this particular encounter.  She is physically more imposing than the Ukrainian in terms of both her height and weight of shot.  Her forehand is an especially potent weapon, and if she is hitting it well, she should be able to keep Svitolina on the run all day.  Equally important for the Serb is that she is presently hitting her backhand well.  It allowed her to play some superb defense when she needed it in her last match, and she will want to be able to call upon it again to show consistency and to stay in the rallies when necessary against Svitolina.

Svitolina is going to want to put the seventh seed on the run, but that is going to be a difficult proposition.  As previously noted, she does not quite possess the same level of firepower.  Her favorite shot is the serve, though, and if she is having a good serving day, she can at least look to use it to put herself in an advantageous position to start off the point.  She is also the quicker of the pair around the court and unafraid of taking the initiative when the opportunity arises.  More than anything, however, the Ukrainian needs to come with her running shoes on and prepare to be the one looking to extend the rallies in the hope that the pressure gets to her opponent. 

Of course, history would suggest that it is Svitolina who is more likely to press in this match.  She has played the former No. 1 on six occasions and lost all six of them.  All but one has resulted in a routine straight-sets victory for the Serb, and two of the victories came on clay, including a couple of weeks ago in Madrid.  Furthermore, the 19th seed has never been to this stage in any of the majors, and after watching the way she struggled to put away Alizé Cornet in the previous round, there has to be some question as to whether or not she can close out Ivanovic should she find herself in a winning position. 

However, this may be the stage where the situation gets to Ivanovic.  She has been flying under the radar for a good portion of this tournament, and now she has been thrust into the spotlight as a favorite to come through this half of the draw.  Additionally, while Ivanovic can appreciate being the one to come into this latest duel with the dominant head-to-head record and bigger game, that also can bring its own amount of pressure.  There is more of an expectation to win and arguably more frustration when things are not going well.  It is essential that Ivanovic stay within the moment and never lose sight of the fact that this is her match to win.

There have been many matches already this tournament where the odds-maker's favorite failed to get the victory, however, so the outcome of this meeting is by no means certain.  Ivanovic is currently the better player, and if she competes at her best, she will advance.  But if she does not, and if she folds under the weight of expectation, the young gun Svitolina has the talent to seize her chances and continue her journey here at Roland Garros.

Lucie Safarova vs. Garbiñe Muguruza

The “great unknown” might be a good way of describing the quarterfinal clash between Lucie Safarova and Garbiñe Muguruza.  There is no shared history between the two, so it is difficult to discern how their respective games will match up against each other.  Neither has ever been to the final four here in Paris, so there is no way of knowing how they will manage the big moments. 

Despite being the higher seed, it is perhaps a bigger surprise to see Safarova at this stage of the event.  But she has a great game, as evidenced by her dismissal of Maria Sharapova in the previous round, and there is no reason it cannot take her further at this tournament.  The Czech has a deceptive amount of power off the ground and on the serve, and her lefty forehand in particular has been crucial in helping her to open up the court and wrong foot opponents.  Assuming that aspect of her game is clicking on Tuesday, that should allow her the opportunity to utilize her exceptional skills in the forecourt to keep the Spaniard off balance and carve out her own winners.

Producing winners has never typically been a problem for Muguruza.  The Spaniard is among the most powerful shot-makers in the sport, and that will hold true when she takes to the court against Safarova.  Muguruza's superior firepower should give her a slight edge in the serving department, as well as put her in a better position to turn defense into offense with just a single swing of the racquet.  The challenge for the 21st seed is going to be harnessing her power and practicing patience.  Safarova is the quicker of the two with a respectable amount of zip on her own shots, so Muguruza must guard against going too big too early.

Naturally, the ability to execute their respective game plans is going to be affected by who mentally copes best with the situation, and the jury is still out as to which of these two competitors that might be.  Safarova is a player who has always had the talent but has generally been fragile between the ears when it matters most.  She has steadily made improvements in that area, though, stringing together a breakthrough run to the semifinals of Wimbledon last year and putting away Sharapova in her last round here.  She just has yet to prove that she can consistently deliver the goods with much at stake.

Muguruza has already illustrated that she can call upon her best when it matters most.  She showed that with her upset victory over Serena Williams at this tournament last season.  Furthermore, unlike veterans who may see their window of opportunity closing, as someone still in the beginning stages of her career, the Spaniard may feel freer to swing away in the belief that down the road she will have plenty of good looks at winning a Grand Slam.  Of course, Muguruza is also aware that she has been given a good look at making the final here, and that brings its own pressure.  She knows she theoretically caught a break in facing Safarova instead of Sharapova, against whom she would have been the clear underdog.  Now, although still the lower seed, as a popular dark horse pick to win the 2015 Roland Garros title, there are many who expect her to advance to the final four.  And it is those expectations that could have a detrimental effect on Muguruza's game. 

Neither woman has a clear-cut advantage with their physical games and strategies, so it simply comes down to who is able to cash in on the pivotal points.  Whichever way this goes, both women have had a terrific Roland Garros, and both are deserving of a berth in the final four.