French Open Men's Quarter-finals Preview

With the shock exit of Rafael Nadal, the tag of favourite has now been transferred to Roger Federer. There is no doubt that Federer is the player with the best clay court pedigree. However, the last eight consists of a host of dark horses, and as the exits of Djokovic and Nadal proved, anything is possible this year.

Robin Soderling vs. Nikolay Davydenko

Unless we have a match or performance for the ages in the remaining 6 days at Roland Garros, the 2009 French Open will always be associated with Robin Soderling. The enigmatic Swede did the unthinkable by becoming the first man to beat Rafael Nadal on the clay of Paris.

However, after the euphoria of that victory dawns the reality that there are 3 rounds still to go. In fact, Soderling is as much of an underdog against his next opponent as he was against Nadal. There is no denying the effectiveness of Soderling's serve and powerful groundstrokes.

That being said, Nikolay Davydenko is unlikely to give Soderling the luxury of short balls, and the Russian has the sort of metronomic consistency from the baseline that can easily ruffle Soderling's brittle temperament. Furthermore, Davydenko has the crucial experience in these stages of a Grand Slam, and the unheralded yet extremely consistent veteran may even fancy being the favourite in this section of the draw to make it to the final.

Prediction: Soderling may have the momentum, but ultimately the biggest effect of his shock against Nadal, might actually have been to galvanize the other serious contenders. A fact that won't be lost on Davydenko, as he wins in 4

Andy Murray vs. Fernando Gonzalez

Andy Murray's startling progress over the past year shows no signs of abating. His maturity and intelligence are starting to be seen in greater evidence, as he has the reached the quarters of a grand slam on his least favourite surface. The most impressive facet of his play on clay has been his ability to transform his game to suit the surface, yet still utilize his major weapons, the backhand and serve.

Fernando Gonzalez meanwhile is in brilliant form himself. The Chilean can often have streaks at grand slams, whereby he is in a zone of his own, managing to hit winners consistently from any angle. His baseline game at this year's French, is reminiscent of his breathtaking play at the 2007 Australian Open. If Gonzalez maintains the accuracy of his groundstrokes, he has the ability to negate Murray's game by keeping him completely on the defensive.

Prediction: While there is no denying Murray has made huge strides on clay, the fact remains that he hasn't really played anyone in the tournament with a clay court pedigree. Gonzalez is certainly going to be his toughest opponent, and possibly a bridge too far. Speedy Gonzalez to nick it in 5

Roger Federer vs. Gael Monfils

A repeat of last year's semi-final when Monfils ran the Swiss master really close. As mentioned earlier, the expectation on Federer is now even greater after Nadal's exit. The good news for Roger Federer is that the bad match has already been dealt with in the round of 16 clash against Haas. In fact, Federer's amazing escape when facing a break in the third set, already 2 sets down, seemed to have the air of a seismic moment that can transfer momentum for a whole tournament.

It certainly was an important wake-up call because if Federer would have played the same level of tennis against his next opponent, then Gael Monfils would have decimated Roger Federer. While critics of the young French star quibble about his defensive game, there is no denying that his speed, movement and effective defence make him a genuine threat on the clay of the French Open. Expect the highly partisan crowd to be a big factor in this match.

Prediction: Despite easily dismantling Andy Roddick, Federer on clay is a different prospect. Even the French crowd might not be as vocal against Federer as they were against Roddick. Monfils will certainly give the crowd a lot to cheer, but ultimately lose in 4 close sets.

Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Tommy Robredo

A third successive grand slam quarter-final leaves no doubt that Juan Martin Del Potro is here to stay as a top 10 player. While the top 4 may yet be a bridge too far, Del Potro certainly has the consistency, power and all the right mental attributes to beat the rest of the field. He certainly knows how to use his forehand effectively, and most certainly does not gift his opponents easy points with unforced errors.

On the other side of the net, Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo has played some decent tennis of his own. Always a dangerous opponent on clay, Robredo has displayed many of his positive traits, and even some decent net play which has resulted in many quick points at the expense of confused opponents.

Prediction: On his day, Robredo certainly can cause an upset here, especially if he moves the big Argentine around. However, Del Potro is starting to show signs of maturity in his play and the way he dismantled home favourite Tsonga was quite exceptional. Del Potro's baseline game to carry him through to the semi's in 3 straight but tight sets.