Excitement has really built in Paris as the 2018 Roland Garros round of sixteen has arrived.
The one upcoming match about which organisers have dreamed has come to fruition.
It contains two players who both have achieved the world number one ranking. Both have been crowned Roland Garros champion more than once. OBoth have won the Australian and US Opens and Wimbledon.
Both have made come backs to reach this battle of which promoters have dreamed.
Maria Sharapova is on her journey back from a time out from the WTA Tour due to her drug related ban.
Serena Williams is back from a happier absence - the birth of her first child.
The two have produced their A games at just the right times to knock out some of the highest rated opposition available.
Maria, seeded 28 here, defeated Richel Hogenkamp and an in form Donna Vekic, before ousting sixth seed Karolina Pliskova in no uncertain fashion 6-2 6-1
18 winners to 5 and 57% of points won on return indicate the dominance of Sharapova in probably her best performance since her come back.
Serena, ranked 451 coming into Paris and therefore unseeded, had dismantled three distinguished players en route to her meeting with Maria.
First it was the other Pliskova twin, Kristyna, in a tight clash which essentially rated as a warm up for a terrific battle with Ash Barty (17) requiring three sets, and finally the disposal of Julia Goerges (11) 6-3 6-4 which served as a pass to the fourth round.
The player most afraid of the Maria Serena clash will be Garbiñe Muguruza. The third seed is scheduled to meet the winner should she win her round of sixteen match.
Although Garbine needn’t concern herself too much since she is firing pretty well.
The 2016 champion here, claimed the trophy by defeating Serena in the final so she knows how to beat the best.
And she hasn’t dropped a set this tournament, her latest victim 2010 finalist Sam Stosur, given a drubbing 6-0 6-2.
So the other matches to finalise the last sixteen:
Karen Khachanov defeated Lucas Pouille (15) 6-3 7-5 6-3
He will play Sascha Zverev in the round of sixteen
Sascha Zverev had already defeated Damir Dzumhur the day before
Lesia Tsurenko defeated Magdalena Rybarikova (19) 6-2 6-4
She will play Garbiñe Muguruza in the round of sixteen
Rafa Nadal (1) defeated Richard Gasquet (27) 6-3 6-2 6-2
He will play Maximilian Marterer in the round of sixteen
Maximilian Marterer defeated Jurgen Zopp 6-2 6-1 6-4
Juan Martin del Potro (5) defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas (31) 7-5 6-4 6-1
He will play John Isner in the round of sixteen
John Isner (9) defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(1) 6-4 7-6(4)
Fabio Fognini (18) defeated Kyle Edmund (16) 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-4 6-4
He will play Marin Cilic in the round of sixteen
Marin Cilic (3) defeated Steve Johnson 6-3 6-2 6-4
David Goffin (8) defeated Gaël Monfils (32) 6-7(6) 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-3
He will play Marco Cecchinato In the round of sixteen
Marco Cecchinato had already defeated Pablo Carreno Busta the day before
Caroline Garcia (7) defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1 6-3
She will play Angie Kerber in the round of sixteen
Angie Kerber (12) defeated Kiki Bertens (18) 7-6(4) 7-6(4)
Anett Kontaveit (25) defeated Petra Kvitová 7-6(6) 7-6(4)
She will play Sloane Stephens in the round of sixteen
Sloane Stephens (10) defeated Camila Giorgi 4-6 6-1 8-6
Kevin Anderson (6) defeated Mischa Zverev 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3 7-6(4)
He will play Diego Schwartzman in the round of sixteen
Diego Schwartzman defeated Borna Coric 7-5 6-3 6-3
Simona Halep (1) defeated Andrea Petkovic 7-5 6-0
She will play Elise Mertens in the round of sixteen
Elise Mertens (16) defeated Dasha Gavrilova (24) 6-3 6-1
Of the sixteen players left in the women’s draw, 13 countries are represented
Of the sixteen players left in the men’s draw, 12 countries are represented
In total, 20 countries are represented with the final 32 singles players
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