Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova met in a crunch tie at the French Open as both looked to try to advance from the quarter-finals of the competition.
The defending champion Sharapova had bulldozed her way through the competition to that point, but met a stern test in the 18th seed.
However, Sharapova recovered from a set down to roar into the final four of the tournament.
Read how it all unfolded in our live commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from the French Open as Jelena Jankovic takes on Maria Sharapova in the last eight.
This match will surely be a tasty one, and not least because Sharapova is in it. These two are both strong players, but the defending champion has beaten Jankovic seven times to one.
Sharapova is in top form having won her opening four matches in straight sets.
SHARAPOVA PATH TO THE LAST EIGHT:
1st Round: beat Hsieh Su-Wei
2nd Round: beat Eugenie Bouchard
3rd Round: beat Zheng Jie
4th Round: beat Sloane Stephens
1st Round: beat Hsieh Su-Wei
2nd Round: beat Eugenie Bouchard
3rd Round: beat Zheng Jie
4th Round: beat Sloane Stephens
The players are currently out rallying, but are now getting ready to start.
This is going to be some clash. Neither player is keen on the other and we have a real fight on our hands.
Great early showing from Jankovic, who makes Sharapova work for it and earns two break points. However, the defending champion hit two massive forehands on the way to rescuing deuce. The two trades blows in the deuce, with Jankovic possessing an advantage on four occasions, only for Sharapova to respond. However, she secured the first game after encouraging Sharapova to slam the ball out of play.
Sharapova is certainly going after her opponent and is absolutely smashing the ball back at her.
Jankovic may be sporting some strapping on her left shoulder, but she certainly isn't taking it easy against her "arch-nemesis".
BREAK! What a recovery from Jankovic. Sharapova powered her way into a 30-0 lead before the Serb stormed back to pick up the first break. She is doing really well at using Sharapova's power to her advantage early on here.
Sharapova plays a smashing forehand to make it 15-15 and shows patience before going down the line.
Three in a row for the underdog. Sharapova hits a wonderful forehand down the line to make it 15-15, but Jankovic refuses to go away and races to a break point. She then hits a powerful serve which forces Sharapova to find the net. Awesome start from Jankovic.
Sharapova is taking an age between serves, but it's not doing her much good so far.
BREAK! Things are not going Sharapova's way at the moment. Everything is just off for her, but fractions. She pulls a point back to make it 30-15 but Jankovic replied by earning a break point. The champion comes short to the net and plays a tricky drop shot, which forces Jankovic to hit her reply out. Sharapova finishes the game with a double fault. Shocking stuff.
Sharapova is really trying to slow things down and it is starting to annoy Jankovic, who complains to the umpire.
Sharapova has already hit 15 unforced errors in this match, in comparison to just three from Jankovic.
This is one-way traffic at Roland Garros at the moment. Sharapova is getting sympathetic applause from French crowd now. An easy game for Jankovic makes it 5-0.
25 minutes gone, and Sharapova is serving to stay in this opening set.
BREAK, GAME AND SET! Wow, what an opening set. Sharapova falls straight to a 30-0 deficit with both shots creeping just out. A touch less power on her efforts, and she may even be winning this contest. She comes back though with a nice stride towards the net after an obvious drop shot from Jankovic but then hammers a shot into the net to give Jankovic two set points. The leader is pegged back as she fails to deal with the spin on the champion's shot but takes the set as Sharapova puts another strike the wrong side of the line.
Sharapova, who was yet to drop a set in this competition before today, has just lost her first without winning a single game.
BREAK! And it's a first game for Sharapova, who gets the crowd on her side with a wonderful lob to make it 15-15 before conceding the lead once more with another shot out of bounds. She should have buried a shot at the net, but levels things up with a spinning backhand. Both girls then hit superb winners to take the game to deuce. Sharapova then takes the advantage, and Jankovic double faults to land the champion her first game of the match.
She's starting to find her rhythm! Sharapova is hitting some fabulous hits in this game and seems to be finding the right side of the line. A powerful winner earns her a break point, before forcing Jankovic to find the net for 2-0.
Usual service restored. Jankvoic has to dig in to win her first game of the second set. No set to love for Sharapova, but she still leads 2-1.
Sharapova is bring out the big hits and plays several just a whisker inside the line. She storms to 40-love before racing across the court to secure the perfect game with a lovely backhand.
BREAK! The power that Sharapova can get on her forehand when trying to break a serve is scary. She takes a 30-0 lead but loses out on an enthralling rally by putting her backhand out. After Jankovic levelled it up, she spooned an effort into the net, before Sharapova wrapped up her fourth game of the set.
This is almost a complete role reversal of the first set. Sharapova is taking it to her opponent now. She isn't going down without a fight that's for sure.
Sharapova has hit 22 unforced errors to just six from Jankovic though. Crazy.
These efforts are just steaming off the racket from Sharapova. Jankovic is looking increasingly disgusted.
What a back and forth battle in that game. Neither player wants to leave an inch as the score goes from 15-0, to 15-15, to 30-15 and so on, which inevitably leads us to deuce. Jankovic smacks a class return to rid Sharapova oh her advantage, but couldn't reply from a wide serve. Sharapova then captured the game by hitting the line once again.
This really is a game of fine margins at the moment.
Jankovic denies Sharapova a possible comeback after taking a 30-0 lead, but she sees out the game with a powerful serve that Sharapova puts out of bounds. Game to Jankovic, but Sharapova is now serving for the set.
BREAK! Jankovic is doing all she can to deny Sharapova this set, as she hammers her way to a 40-15 lead. Sharapova then just missed the baseline on the break point to hand Jankovic the set.
Tense times in this second set now. Sharapova pulls off a magnificent drop shot to bring her back into the game at 30-15, before flinging herself at the ball at full stretch to somehow play a backhand across court and level the game. Jankovic then went back in front though in a cracking rally, as she curves a forehand outwards to the tramlines before correctly calling a Sharapova shot out to pile the nerves on the Russian. 5-4.
Sharapova is on the brink!
GAME AND SET SHARAPOVA! The champion is level. Sharapova storms to a 40-0 lead and has three set points to use up. She levels up the match after Jankovic's return hits the net. We'll have one final serve in this quarter-final clash.
What a response to losing a monstrous opening rally. From 15-0 down, Sharapova rallies to win the game and won it with a lovely drop shot that forced Jankovic to the net, which left Sharapova on hand to hammer the backhand into space.
Outstanding from Jankovic as she takes two fantastic final points to edge out Sharapova from serve in the first set.
What a thrilling finish to the match we could have on the card. This time it's Sharapova's turn to dominate from serve as she takes a 40-0 lead. She's seels the game with a wonderful shot down the baseline which Jankovic can only guide off the court.
Now Jankovic turns it on, and swiftly moves to a 30-0 advantage. She keeps on her game and sends a flailing Sharapova all over the court. She takes the game for love and leads the set.
This could be some finish the way things are going...
A massive smile breaks out from Jankovic as she gets the point in a massive rally at the beginning of the game. She knows that she got away with that, as Sharapova should have taken the point with ease instead of hitting it out.
The serves is dictating this set, and it could be settled on breaks their opponent first.
BREAK! That could be crucial! What a game we have at the moment. Both players are giving their all to take the initiative. Twice Sharapova goes ahead in the game, and took the score to 40-15 with a top-class forehand after reading Jankovic's moves well. She gave herself two break points, and finally managed to break Jankovic after the latter hit her shot out. Telling point of the match.
You have to admire Sharapova for her determination to get to every shot but it has cost her in stages. She slips to a 40-15 disadvantage but gets lucky after catching the net. She then hammers an unbelievable return to take it to deuce in search of a break. However, Jankovic takes the game after the Russian slams the ball into the net. 3-2 to the serve.
Jankovic isn't half partial to doing the splits. Tremendous viewing.
Back to square one once more. Jankovic was trying to put Sharapova on her forehand for some odd reason and paid the price. Sharapova takes the game with a wonderful winner down the line. 3-3
Sharapova is now two games away from the semi-finals and serving for her fifth game of the set.
Jankovic is growing agitated and is trying desperately to get her break back. She twice throws the lead away in the game, before earning a break point when Sharapova hits a poor effort out. She managed to use her pace to keep the point alive three times before Sharapova meets the ball with a huge swing on the drive volley to send it to deuce. The Russian is evidently delighted when taking advantage and she shakes her fist in happiness, but just puts the break point out of bounds to level it up. Scenes are repeatedly shortly after though as the Serb again hits her shot too long. Sharapova moves herself on the verge of victory with a great winner. She really is giving her all.
Jankovic now serving to stay in the match, having won the first game 6-0.
Sharapova is moving brilliant across court has hit fifth gear.
GAME, SET AND MATCH SHARAPOVA! What a turnaround! Sharapova is unstoppable in the latter stages of the final set to advance into the last four as she looks to defend her crown. Having been battered in the opening set, Sharapova displayed her talent to roar back with some sensational tennis.
Sharapova will now meet Victoria Azarenka in a mouth-watering semi-final clash. Can she defend her crown? We will see.
Right that's it for the women's side of the competition, I'll now be heading over to the men's last eight stage where Novak Djokovic takes on Tommy Haas.
