Following a few upsets in her vicinity, the draw has opened somewhat for 2008 Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic. Home hope Alize Cornet eyes a similar opportunity to produce a deeper run than she might have expected before the tournament. But neither can take her fourth-round opponent too lightly.

Ana Ivanovic vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Numerous headlines emerge over the course of a Grand Slam, and the vast majority of them focus on the favorites and the upsets.  Players not among the favorites who simply live up to their seeding are at best are given a passing mention.   Ana Ivanovic and especially Ekaterina Makarova are in this last group.  On paper, they have performed as expected and will meet in the round of 16 as scheduled.  One of them will advance to the last eight, and whomever that is, audiences will be forced to take some notice at that point.

Given that she is the seventh seed and a former champion here, one would think that there would be much more positive talk about Ivanovic's chances.  Instead, the bulk of the attention paid to the Serb came prior to the start of the tournament with the former No. 1 proving to be a popular pick as one of the players most apt to suffer an early exit.  It was a dreary outlook, but one that was warranted, too.  Ivanovic had lost in the first round of the Australian Open, and after losing her openers in the top-tier events in Stuttgart and Rome, she hardly inspired confidence coming into this event.  Yet despite looking very wobbly in her first two matches, she has managed to avoid the upset bug in Paris.  Ivanovic logged an impressive performance in her last match and may be playing herself into contention to go deep and maybe even win a second Roland Garros title.

Unlike Ivanovic, Makarova has never won a major, nor has she been in the spotlight for an extended period of time.  It could even be argued that with her ability and past successes, she is often overlooked.  Given that and the fact that clay is her least favorite surface, with a quarterfinal appearance in Stuttgart as her lone decent result on the dirt this season, it is no wonder that among the top 10 seeds at this year's Roland Garros, she is the one most flying under the radar.  She has played some solid tennis to get to this point, however, and after having reached the final four of the last two majors, her chances of getting the upset over Ivanovic cannot be dismissed.

If she is playing at her best, Makarova has a game that will test the consistency of Ivanovic.  She can become a backboard of both wings, and for her size, she is an exceptional mover.  Furthermore, she has all of the added advantages that come with being a lefty, and assuming she can work her way to net, she can utilize the forecourt skills that have made her a top-10 doubles player.  If she is wise, Ivanovic will do her best to keep the No. 9 seed off the net and pinned behind the baseline.  She definitely has the firepower to do it.  Ivanovic is the bigger hitter, and once again, her forehand is the greatest weapon on the court.  She is the player in a position to control more of the rallies, and if she can stay patient and wait for her opportunities, the odds favor her getting through this contest.

Finding patience can be difficult, however, when nerves come into play.  Just which player will be feeling the nerves more is anyone's guess.  They have split their only two prior meetings, the last of which was at the 2011 Australian Open and won by Makarova 10-8 in the third set.  Ivanovic has enjoyed more success at this event than Makarova, but Makarova is the one who has made the semifinals at the last two majors. 

As their thriller in Melbourne four years ago showed, this is a battle that could come down to just an ace here or a net cord here. The only certainty is that one of them is going to end up in the quarterfinals with a very good look at going even farther.

Elina Svitolina vs. Alizé Cornet 

There is often talk of a player's potential.  Have they shown it or proved it?  Are they maximizing it?  Are they living up to it?  But potential is not a substance of which an exact measurement can be made.  It is more of a perception that fans and analysts have of a player.  It is also a subject that could come up in the match that pits Elina Svitolina against Alizé Cornet.

At age 20, Svitolina is in the early stages of a career where she is beginning to show and prove her potential as a professional.  She has not yet enjoyed the same level of breakthrough success at the majors that brought so much hype to Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens, but the Ukrainian has made steady progress and given ample indication that she could be one to watch for the future.  She is presently ranked just outside the top 20 and has captured three titles, including the Marrakech tournament this year heading into Paris.  She was one of the few players to challenge Serena Williams in the American's march to the Australian Open crown this year, and Svitolina now finds herself in the second week of a major for the first time in her career. 

Svitolina's opponent, Cornet, has been to the second week of a major, but only twice and never at Roland Garros.  The Frenchwoman, aged 25 and headed towards the middle of her career, is the player looking to live up to her potential.  She showed plenty of promise early in her career.  Just six years ago, she was knocking on the door of the top 10.  She then suffered a downward spiral but has been able to gradually turn her career around the last couple of years by garnering some noteworthy results and working her way back into the top 30.  Her run here in Paris represents just one more step in her journey towards redemption, and it is one that she hopes will continue into the quarterfinals.

Cornet will have her work cut out for her against Svitolina if she hopes to advance, as the events on court will be slightly more in the hands of Svitolina.   The 19th seed's favorite shot is the serve, and it is unquestionably more of a weapon than Cornet's.  Additionally, she has a little more zip on her shots, is at home on the clay, and is the player more apt to act than react.  However, like the Ukrainian, Cornet is very comfortable on the dirt.  She is solid off both wings, but even more so from the backhand side.  She also owns the better set of wheels and will definitely test the consistency and possibly the nerves of Svitolina.

The greater variables in this match are going to be nerves and the possible impact of the crowd.  Both women have come through very difficult circumstances to reach this point, but Sunday will be different.  Neither woman has ever been to the quarterfinals of a major, and both are aware that they have caught a break in facing each other instead of a higher seed for the chance to advance to the last eight.  Cornet has won their two prior meetings in straight sets, but some of the sets have been tight.  Furthermore, there is the home crowd factor to consider.  Cornet is a player who feeds off the energy of the crowd, and the crowd is more likely to help than hurt her chances for success.  That said, wanting to win for the home fans brings its own amount of pressure.  If Cornet wants it too badly, it may be the higher-seeded Ukrainian who actually ends up swinging more freely and executing her own game plan to perfection.