The first two women’s quarterfinals at the US Open will unfold on Tuesday. None of them features a top-10 player, but these four competitors will be eager to grasp the golden opportunity that awaits.

Caroline Wozniacki versus Sara Errani

In a loaded bottom quarter where most would have predicted seeing at least Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, or even Venus Williams come through, it is instead Caroline Wozniacki and Sara Errani who have emerged with a chance to advance to the final four.

Wozniacki and Errani are no strangers to going deep at a major.  Both have been to a Grand Slam singles final and logged a few semifinal appearances, so they are in familiar territory.  Both have also played some excellent tennis to overcome big hurdles to get to this point, with Errani eliminating Williams and Wozniacki getting the upset over Sharapova.  Now they will face a new challenge as they come up against each other.

What could make this match particularly challenging for the pair is that in some ways they mirror each other.  They are two players best known for their movement and ability to retrieve, so a good portion of this match will be dependent upon who is the most consistent from beginning to end.  Right now, that looks to be Wozniacki, who has been the steadier in her matches to this point.

The Dane also has more firepower off the ground, and she has shown an increasing willingness to be offensive. That puts her in a better position to control the bulk of the rallies in this match.  If there is one area where Errani holds a decisive advantage, though, it is in the forecourt.  The Italian currently sits atop the WTA doubles rankings and has done so for some time.  It is going to be imperative that she find her way there as much as possible to take time away from Wozniacki and neutralize the No. 10 seed’s ability to track down balls.

Errani is going to need to do everything she can to hamper Wozniacki’s progress, since the Dane has the mental edge coming into this contest as well.  The former Number 1 leads her past meetings with Errani 2-1 and comes in knowing the match is more in her hands than the Italian’s.  Wozniacki also prefers the hard courts, as opposed to Errani, who loves the clay.  Furthermore, the US Open has been the best of the four majors for Wozniacki, whereas Errani has enjoyed her biggest moments on the clay in Paris. 

None of this is to say that Errani will be lacking in belief.  She did reach the semifinals here in New York two years ago, and she is going to come prepared for the long haul, as should the fans.  This contest is made for plenty of long rallies with some variable spins and slices thrown in for good measure.  Assuming she has come off the emotional high of getting the win over Sharapova, the odds favor Wozniacki making it through to another US Open semifinal. 

Shuai Peng versus Belinda Bencic

There have been a number of shockers at this year’s US Open.  But for all of the upsets, most would expect to see at least one seeded player in each of the quarterfinal matches.  Shuai Peng and Belinda Bencic clearly had different ideas, however.  The two women have taken out a combined total of six seeds and now will face each other with a berth in the semifinals up for grabs.

Who is going to step up and earn that spot in the semifinals is the million-dollar question.  The two have never met before, so there is no history to shed light on how their games match up against each other.  Both have demonstrated impressive skills from the baseline.  Currently ranked No. 3 in doubles, Peng is more adept at the net, but as someone who has benefited from the advice of Martina Hingis and Melanie Molitor, Bencic is no one-trick pony.  Both will come into this match knowing that they will need to empty their bag of tricks to get the win.

Of course, as important as their individual skill sets are, it is likely going to be the mental side of things that proves to be the biggest factor in this match.  Given that both women have knocked off three seeds apiece to get to this point, they are going to be feeling confident.  But neither woman has been in a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal, and the fact that they are both unseeded could wreak havoc on their nerves. 

Peng in particular could be feeling the pressure in this moment.  She was decidedly the underdog in her last three matches, but in this quarterfinal she is the higher-ranked player.  A veteran at age 28, she is also aware that this may not only be her best but possibly her last look at reaching the final four of a Grand Slam.  That kind of knowledge is enough to cause any player to tighten up in the big moments. 

Bencic will not carry that same burden of knowledge with her into this match.  She is only 17 and presumably has her whole career ahead of her.  Additionally, having already reached her first major quarterfinal, she must feel confident that this run in New York is only the first of many deep runs to come.  She also maintains the luxury of still being an underdog in this match, if only slightly, and after securing wins over two top-10 seeds to get here, she is not likely to blink at the prospect of getting a mild upset over Peng.  If anything, her biggest challenge in this match could be remaining focused on Peng instead of the possibility of going one round further into the semifinals.

Hopefully both women will avoid permitting the prospect of playing in their first major semifinal to affect their games and will instead remain focused on the task at hand.  They have both played spectacular tennis to get to this point, and it is only fitting that they should exhibit that kind of tennis again.  Win or lose, it has been a tournament to remember for both competitors.