Nadal (1) v Gonzalez (13). Gonzalez, the 2007 runner-up, cannot afford a letdown after his marathon third-round battle with Gasquet, which ended at midnight. Nadal leads the Chilean by four matches to three in their head-to-head rivalry, and won their last match, for Olympic gold at Beijing, by 6-3 7-6 6-3. The shoot-out between blazing forehands will be dazzling. Nadal in four.
Murray (4) v Verdasco (14). Like Nadal, the Scot hasn’t dropped a set so far. Nor, mind you, has the Spaniard, who allowed Stepanek just four games in his last match. Even so, the end is nigh for the hard-hitting Verdasco. He lost all his previous five matches with Murray, and the sixth isn’t far off. Murray in straight.
Tsonga (5) v Blake (9). All Tsonga’s moving parts seem still in working order, despite the strain they’re under. And the popular Frenchman, like Blake, will continue to play high-risk shots, with no quarter asked or given. So fasten your seatbelts. Tsonga in five.
Simon (6) v Monfils (12). Two more French musketeers, whose dashing exploits are all the talk on the Champs Elyssee. Monfils is the more athletic and spectacular, Simon the more orthodox and solid. This is their first rendezvous. Simon in four.
S. Williams (2) v Azarenka (13). They’ve met once, Serena winning here in the third round last year by 7-6 7-5. This time Azarenka is buoyed by her recent victory at Brisbane, and her win over the former champ, Mauresmo, on Saturday. Serena, however, looks confident and relaxed, ready to fire. Williams in three.
Dementieva (4) v Cibulkova (18). Cibulkova, at 19, is a coming star, and played a big part in Slovakia winning the recent Hopman Cup by beating Safina in the final. Last year, the Slovak made two WTA finals, defeating Azarenko, Chakvetadze and Mauresmo at Amelia Island, and Dementieva, Jankovic and Bartoli at Montreal. She’s small – 19 centimetres shorter than Dementieva – but quick and strong. The stately Russian triumphed at Auckland and Sydney, but that won’t help her today. Cibulkova in three.
Kuznetsova (8) v. Zheng (22). Zheng is the last Chinese survivor from three starters. Kuznetsova has beaten the 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist twice, but their second match, at Beijing in September, was a struggle. Kuznetsova in straight.
Medina Garrigues (21) v Suarez Navarro. Two Spanish clay-court specialists who are more than useful on hardcourt, too. Suarez Navarro was a surprise quarter-finalist at Roland Garros last year, and Medina Garrigues won the doubles title there with Virginia Ruano Pascual. Suarez Navarro in three.
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