Two reigning Grand Slam champions cross paths with a French Open semi-final berth on the line on Tuesday, when Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova engage in a mouthwatering quarter-final battle.
The world number one whitewashed Anastasia Potapova to surge into the last eight, while the current Wimbledon holder ended the magical journey of qualifier Olga Danilovic.
Match preview
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Only 40 minutes had passed by the time that Swiatek wrapped up an emphatic fourth-round success over Potapova, continuing her pursuit of a Roland Garros three-peat in merciless style against a foe whom she had experienced plenty of gruelling contests against as juniors.
Fast forward to the weekend's encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier, and Swiatek's triumph could hardly have been more dominant, demolishing her Russian foe 6-0 6-0 and dropping a mere 10 points throughout the shortest match of her WTA career to date.
Only two unforced errors left the racquet of the four-time major winner, in addition to 13 winners, as she booked her spot in the French Open quarter-finals for the fifth year running, and few can envision any other result than Swiatek conquering the Parisian clay again.
Swiatek took five fewer minutes to see off Potapova than she did against Simona Halep at Roland Garros 2019, and it is now a magnificent 16 wins on the bounce for the big-hitting Pole and April's Stuttgart exit at the hands of Elena Rybakina.
Marie Bouzkova and Leolia Jeanjean have also been sent packing by Swiatek without taking a set off her, although the reigning champion was handed a significant scare by Naomi Osaka in her second-round showdown, offering Vondrousova the tiniest crumb of encouragement.
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Lob after lob after lob sailed over the head of Serbian qualifier Danilovic during her showdown against Vondrousova, where the world number 125 adopted a risky but potentially rewarding aggressive approach, although her plucky style ultimately proved to be her downfall.
Vondrousova failed to win any of the first three games of their fourth-round battle, but Danilovic aided her recovery efforts with a steady stream of unforced errors, and the fifth seed ran out a 6-4 6-2 victor with one hour and 20 minutes played before offering the valiant qualifier a warm hug at the net.
A third Grand Slam quarter-final from her last four attempts now awaits Vondrousova, who has only ever made it this far once at Roland-Garros before - advancing to the 2019 final and being condemned to the runners-up prize by Ashleigh Barty - before conquering SW19 last year.
Before turning her thoughts to a Wimbledon title defence, the 24-year-old pits her wits against Swiatek having also dropped just one set at the French Open so far, easing past Rebeka Masarova and Chloe Paquet either side of fighting back from an opening bagel against Katie Volynets.
Either third seed Coco Gauff or eighth seed Ons Jabeur will be bidding to deny the victor of this battle a place in the Roland Garros championship match, which may see two of the 2023 major winners clash racquets, but there is certainly one firm favourite and one unfancied underdog.
Tournament so far
Iga Swiatek:
First round: vs. Leolia Jeanjean 6-1 6-2
Second round: vs. Naomi Osaka 7-6[1] 1-6 7-5
Third round: vs. Marie Bouzkova 6-4 6-2
Round of 16: vs. Anastasia Potapova 6-0 6-0
Marketa Vondrousova:
First round: vs. Rebeka Masarova 6-1 6-3
Second round: vs. Katie Volynets 0-6 6-1 6-4
Third round: vs. Chloe Paquet 6-1 6-3
Round of 16: vs. Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2
Head To Head
WTA Finals (2023) - Group stage: Swiatek wins 7-6[3] 6-0
Cincinnati Open (2023) - Quarter-finals: Swiatek wins 7-6[3] 6-1
French Open (2020) - First round: Swiatek wins 6-1 6-2
Swiatek and Vondrousova will be pictured together at the net for the fourth time at the top level on Tuesday, and surprise surprise, the world number one has come up trumps in each of their previous three battles.
The pair's first meeting appropriately came in the opening round of the 2020 French Open, where Swiatek dropped just three games en route to victory and her first major crown, although the pair had to wait three years before being reunited on the court.
Both of their 2023 showdowns at the Cincinnati Open and WTA Finals were fought on hard surfaces, and despite being taken to a first-set tie-breaker on both occasions, Swiatek got the job done in two, as she did in this tournament four years prior.
We say: Swiatek to win in two sets
Credit where credit is due to Vondrousova for eliminating one of Roland Garros' surprise packages in round four, although Danilovic's frequent mistakes and persistence with coming forward - allowing the Czech to nonchalantly lift the ball over her head - were key factors in her triumph.
The Wimbledon winner will almost certainly not enjoy the same luxury against a honed-in Swiatek, who has been laser-focused throughout and should book her spot in the semis without too big a struggle.
Ben Knapton
