Bottom-Half Breakthrough?

By Alberto Amalfi
Photo Credit: Costantini/Internazionali BNL D'Italia

(May 30, 2010) The red clay of Roland Garros offers major opportunity for the women left standing in the bottom of the draw.

While all eyes are draw to the top quarter and a possible quarterfinal clash between World No. 1 Serena Williams and four-time French Open champion Justine Henin, who extended her French Open winning streak to 24 matches with a third-set comeback over Maria Sharapova, all four women left in the bottom half of the draw — Elena Dementieva, Nadia Petrova, Francesca Schiavone and Caroline Wozniacki — are aiming for their first major title.

US Open finalist Wozniacki is the best mover and athlete in the bottom half of the draw. But the 19-year-old Wozniacki, who is the youngest woman in the top 25, entered the tournament facing questions about her sprained ankle. The third-seeded Dane relied on her ball-control defense and survival skills in reaching her first Roland Garros quarterfinal with a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 win over 14th-seeded Flavia Pennetta that spanned nearly three hours.

"My ankle is feeling much better. I have some good tape, and it really helps me," said Wozniacki who underwent treatment on her thigh during today's match. "It's just about staying consistent and staying on top of my game."

The win sets up a quarterfinal meeting with another Italian, 29-year-old Francesca Schiavone, who advanced to her first French Open quarterfinal since 2001 with a 6-4, 6-4 decision over 30th-seeded Maria Kirilenko.

"Will be tough for sure. She's great player," Schiavone said of Wozniacki. "She has been No. 2. She played already one final in Grand Slam. So I think I have to play my tennis and to be concentrated. It's a good opportunity for me, and I'm ready to play."

The fifth-seeded Dementieva, widely regarded as the best woman yet to win a major, is bidding for her first trip to the French Open final since 2004 when she lost to Anastasia Myskina in the first all-Russian Grand Slam final.

The Dementieva vs. Petrova quarterfinal marks the the first time in two years the pair have faced off. They have split their 14 career clashes, with each woman winning two of the four times they've played on clay. Petrova possesses a more potent serve and showed that in dispatching second-seeded Venus Williams today. But Dementieva's forehand is one of the best in women's tennis and she's scored four consecutive wins over Petrova.

The 20th-ranked Petrova beat World No. 1 Serena Williams in Madrid two weeks ago and has endured a tougher road to the quarterfinals in taking down two seeds in succession as she fought off three match points to outduel 15th-seeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, 6-7(2), 6-4, 10-8 in the third round.