(18) Ernests Gulbis vs. (4) Roger Federer
Jared:Gulbis entered Roland Garros with the worst record in Grand Slams (20-26) of any player in the top 30. Since he reached the 2008 quarterfinals in Paris, he has gone 12-21, but with a win on Sunday he could put the perfect bookend on this chapter of his career with another quarterfinal appearance. And his opponent is the polar opposite of him. Federer is the most accomplished male tennis player in slam history and was in cruise control for the most part in his first three matches. Gulbis will be Federer’s first real test, but he won’t be able to defeat his “superb image of a Swiss gentleman.” Federer 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
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Ricky: Berdych has won four of their previous six encounters, a somewhat modest record that in no way tells the true story of the history between these two. In just six matches against the 6’10” American, Berdych has generated an incredible 52 break chances and has broken serve a hard-to-believe 21 times. The Czech is not exactly considered one of the best returners in tennis, but nobody reads the Isner serve like he does. But this won’t be a rout, because Berdych has been far from dominant so far and Isner conserved energy by finishing off both Mikhail Kukushkin and Tommy Robredo prior to a fifth set. Berdych 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.
Jared: Berdych and Isner may combine for more than 13 feet in height, but when it comes to success at Roland Garros, these two combined for just a 6-6 record over the past three installments of the event with only one appearance in the second week. Still, when this match concludes, one of them will be a FO quarterfinalist. Berdych leads the head-to-head series 4-2, and in those six matches there have been a total of 32 breaks of serve. Berdych has had more success than any player on tour returning the Isner serve. If the No. 1 American is to have a chance, he will have to keep his 65-game unbroken streak alive deep into this round of 16 match. Berdych 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.
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