US Open: Day 8 Preview

What do you get when you take two celebrated American sisters, a red-hot Russian, a French wildcard, a German qualifier, a Polish teenager, a flamboyant Italian and a two-time Grand Slam champion who's not quite ready to let the tennis world forget her superb talent? It's the fourth round line-up from the top half of the draw, and with the final four quarterfinal slots up for grabs, they'll be taking no prisoners.
 
Arthur Ashe
 
(4) Serena Williams (USA) vs. (WC) Severine Brémond (FRA) - First meeting
Brémond certainly can't be accused of not making the most of the wildcard she was granted into the tournament. First there was a win over talented young German Julia Goerges, followed by defeat of No.20 seed Nicole Vaidisova and then a grafting three set triumph over Italian veteran Tathiana Garbin. And yet the world No.121 still has to get past Serena Williams if she is to equal her best Grand Slam showing to date, a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon in 2006. Given that most of the Frenchwoman's wins this year have come on the ITF Circuit, upsetting the two-time US Open champion and No.4 seed is probably too much to ask. She won't be overawed by the occasion, but the bad news for Brémond is that Serena, eyeing a chance to avenge her loss to Venus at The Championships, has the aura of a woman on a mission.
 
(7) Venus Williams (USA) vs. (9) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) - Radwanska leads, 1-0
If the ease with which Radwanska beat 19th seed Dominika Cibulkova in the third round was unexpected, the 60 63 scoreline was less shocking than the 63 60 win she registered against Williams the first time the pair played. That was on a hardcourt at Luxembourg two years ago, when the Pole was a 17-year-old ranked No.95 in the world. Admittedly, Venus was beset with injury that season, but Radwanska isn't the same player today either. Indeed, since then, the Krakow native has joined the big leagues - this year she has reached the quarters at two of the three Grand Slams and collected three titles - and at the grand old age of 19 she certainly possesses both the game and the smarts to defeat the Wimbledon champion. After three breezy wins last week, Williams will have to play to her very best. With a potential quarterfinal against Serena to fight for, she'll be ready for battle.
 
Louis Armstrong
 
(6) Dinara Safina (RUS) vs. (Q) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) - Groenefeld leads, 2-1
If her performances this week are any guide, it can't be long before former world No.14 Groenefeld is back in Top 20 - at least. Her first round upset of No.11 seed Daniela Hantuchova was perhaps not so surprising, given the Slovak's injury problems this year. But, in defeating No.17 seed Alizé Cornet, one of the Tour's brightest prospects, Groenefeld showed her 10-month break from tennis hasn't dimmed her capacity to match it with the next generation as well. Of course, the German's powerful serve and groundstrokes will need to be firing against Safina, a revelation herself this year. The Russian has barely put a foot wrong in recent months, and although she got off to a rocky start against Timea Bacsinszky on Saturday night, she rose to the challenge in the second set when serving to stay in the match. It was a test that can only stand her in good stead against a player who has beaten her twice before.
 
(16) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) vs. (32) Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) - Mauresmo leads, 1-0
As anyone who saw the Italian's upset of Venus Williams at Roland Garros knows, Pennetta in full flight, her forehand struck with a flourishing swirl, is quite a sight. Mauresmo is no less stylish, which means spectators should be in for a treat. Both have worked hard to get here: each of Pennetta's matches the past week has gone the distance, including a fine win over No.19 seed Nadia Petrova in the third round, while Mauresmo dropped sets to Nathalie Dechy and Kaia Kanepi before passing the tricky challenge of Julie Coin, conqueror of Ana Ivanovic, in two tight sets. Rather surprisingly, the pair has never met in a Tour match, Mauresmo's win having been notched in Fed Cup competition two years ago; an excellent clay courter, Pennetta's best strategy for reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal might be to keep the rallies long. Mauresmo, of course, will have other ideas.

 
More to watch...
 
In third round doubles action, Groenefeld backs up from her match against Safina to partner Patty Schnyder against Cibulkova and Virginie Razzano, while Lindsay Davenport and Hantuchova take on fourth seeds Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama. Liezel Huber partners Jamie Murray to play a mixed doubles quarterfinal against either Razzano or Srebotnik and their respective partners, Rogier Wassen and Nenad Zimonjic.