Two former Roland Garros champions and a former Wimbledon champion take the court on Saturday at the French Open, seeking berths in the second week.

Petra Kvitova vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

The bottom half of the women’s draw is set to face off in an effort to try and book a berth in the round of 16.  One of the more captivating contests will pit two of the biggest head cases in the sport against each other as Petra Kvitova takes on Svetlana Kuznetsova.  They can be absolutely brilliant or pathetically awful, and it is anyone’s guess as to what type of tennis they will produce this Saturday.

In many ways, the careers of Kvitova and Kuznetsova are similar.  Both are former Grand Slam singles champions, with Kvitova getting the job done on the lawns of Wimbledon in 2011 and Kuznetsova reigning victorious at the 2004 US Open and at Roland Garros in 2009.  They have risen to the No. 2 ranking, although not the top spot, and possess powerful, all-court games.  Unfortunately, Kvitova and Kuznetsova are also historically prone to inconsistent stretches of play and far too many puzzling losses.

It is that inconsistent play that makes it difficult to know what to expect when they take to the court in this third-round match.  Presumably the slight edge has to go to the higher-ranked Kvitova.  She has more firepower off both wings, as well as the superior serve and the trademark advantages that left-handers enjoy.  She also comes into this match knowing that she has defeated the Russian in all three of their previous encounters, the most recent of which occurred at Indian Wells earlier this year.

Despite failing to win any of their previous meetings, however, Kuznetsova may also gain some belief from her past battles with the Czech.  Two of the three matches went the distance, which makes finally breaking through with a win perfectly plausible.  Furthermore, she has the better transitional game and is unquestionably the better mover.  Kuznetsova would be wise to utilize her movement to turn this into a physical match and resist the temptation to pull the trigger early.  Kvitova often struggles against players who make her hit the extra ball, and Kuznetsova should hold up the better of the two physically should this turn into a long, drawn-out affair.

Should such a war of attrition, it would be a thrill for the fans, but there is not a crystal ball in the world that could predict if this match will actually live up to that potential.  It could be ugly, or it could be breathtaking.  The only guarantee is that, after the last ball has been struck, a dangerous dark horse will have advanced to the next round.

Ana Ivanovic vs. Lucie Safarova

To say that there have been a few surprises at this year’s Roland Garros would be an understatement.  With so many top seeds already gone, some of the more popular dark horse picks are quickly becoming outside favorites.  Former Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic is among that handful of players who have suddenly been elevated to the level of a plausible title contender.  If she hopes to live up to those expectations, she will need to put her nose to the grindstone in her upcoming match with Lucie Safarova. 

The former No. 1 is certainly playing well enough to advance to the fourth round.  Ivanovic has done well to raise her ranking this year to No. 12.  She has had a steady 2014, winning titles in Auckland and Monterrey, and she has been solid on the clay.  After reaching the final of Stuttgart, the quarterfinals in Madrid, and the semifinals in Rome, she has earned her Paris dark horse status.

Ivanovic’s opponent, Lucie Safarova, has not enjoyed nearly as much success this season, but that does not make her any less dangerous.  She proved her ability to challenge the sport’s best when she literally came within an inch of derailing Li Na’s title run in Melbourne, narrowly missing a backhand winner when she held match point.  She is a tricky lefty who loves the dirt, and as a former top-20 player presently ranked a respectable No. 24, there is no question that she is capable of upsetting anyone on any given day. 

Safarova has historically been a thorn in the side of Ivanovic, too.  The Czech has won their last four meetings to lead their head-to-head 4-2.  Then again, that may not worry the Serb.  Their last meeting came back in 2012, when Ivanovic was still experiencing a slump.  Ivanovic also broke her strings of losses to Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams earlier this year, so there is no reason she cannot do the same against Safarova.  Some might even say the odds favor it.  Both women play a similar style of game, but Ivanovic does everything a bit better, particularly when it comes to the forehand.  Additionally, Ivanovic has more match experience on this stage than Safarova, who has generally underperformed at the majors.

All of the elements are there for this to be an entertaining duel, but it will come down to who manages her nerves best.  As noted, Safarova has never been rock-solid, especially at the marquee events, but it remains to be seen how Ivanovic will handle the pressure as the draw opens up before her.