Last year’s losing finalist Sloane Stephens will look to keep her hopes of going one better this week at Roland Garros alive when she takes on in-form Briton Johanna Konta on Tuesday, while teenager Marketa Vondrousova faces Petra Martic in the last eight.
Here, AFP Sport looks at the two women’s quarter-finals on the 10th day of the tournament:
Sloane Stephens (USA x7) v Johanna Konta (GBR x26)
Head-to-head: Konta leads 2-0
Seventh seed Stephens is now the favourite to reach the final from her half of the draw after shock exits elsewhere left her the only top-10 seed still standing.
But Konta has looked in excellent form so far at Roland Garros, claiming her first-ever win in the tournament in the opening round and dropping just one set en route to the last eight.
The 26th-seeded Konta is the first British woman to get this far since Jo Durie reached the semis in 1983 and has beaten American Stephens in both their meetings, including in Rome last month as she reached the Italian Open final.
But former US Open champion Stephens seems to reserve her best form for the Grand Slam tournaments, having also reached the final last year before losing a lead against Simona Halep.
“I’m just going to go in with a clean slate,” insisted Stephens. “Really, like I said, we play a sport, so you never know what’s going to happen on the day.”
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) v Petra Martic (CRO x31)
Head-to-head: Martic leads 4-0
Czech Vondrousova is one of two teenagers to reach the quarter-finals alongside 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova, and next faces Croatia’s Martic, who beat second seed Karolina Pliskova in the third round.
Vondrousova, 19, has cruised through the draw without losing a set, dropping a mere 21 games in the process.
But 31st seed Martic has won all four of their previous meetings, including at the Australian Open earlier this year and in the final of the clay-court event in Istanbul.
It will be a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final for both players on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The 28-year-old Martic reached the fourth round two years ago, saying she would have a glass of red wine after each win, but said she was holding off it this time around.
“I can’t afford it right now. It’s too dehydrating for me. Right now I need to focus to stay hydrated and rest. But after this tournament, I’m going to have a few, I promise.”