French Open 2013: Breaking Down Wednesday's Biggest Matches

The 2013 French Open will be entering into quarterfinals action on Wednesday, and these matches feature plenty of star power.

The Open has already featured many great matches, and Wednesday's action will be no different.

Which matches will shine? Who has the best chances of winning?

Read on to find out.

Novak Djokovic vs. Tommy Haas

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic will take on Tommy Haas in a battle for the semifinals.

Djokovic struggled in his last match, barely winning against 16th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber. Haas won in straight sets over Mikhail Youzhny.

In their careers, Djokovic has won four out of seven matchups with Haas. 

Djokovic is the obvious favorite, despite a tough match in the previous round. He's a better all-around player and has youth on his side. At 35, Haas is the third-oldest man to ever reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

Look for Djokovic to use his strong backhand to expose Haas. He's a bit slower and won't be able to chase balls cross-court like he did in his youth. 

This one should end in straight sets, with Djokovic reaching the semifinals once again.

Rafael Nadal vs. Stanislas Wawrinka

This matchup is a pretty easy one for Rafael Nadal, who has just one loss at this event.

Nadal beat Wawrinka in May at the finals of the Madrid Open. The match, which was won in straight sets, was even more proof of Nadal's dominance on clay. Speaking to ESPN, Wawrinka said as much, noting that "Nadal showed again that he is the best on clay."

There's no reason to think that Nadal's dominance on clay will end anytime soon, as the Spanish star is 9-0 against Wawrinka in his career and is cruising right now.

While Wawrinka is pretty good on clay, winning 19 matches this season, he's no match for Nadal. This one should be over pretty quickly. In Madrid, Nadal disposed of Wawrinka in just over an hour.

Look for a similar ending in this one.

Maria Sharapova vs. Jelena Jankovic

  Golden girl Maria Sharapova is 7-1 in her career against Jelena Jankovic, although this will be their first meeting on clay.

While Sharapova is dominating the French Open field, as she hasn't dropped a set up to this point, she does go up against a player in Jankovic who is having a nice season on clay. Jankovic is 18-4 this season on this playing surface.

Still, Sharapova is dominating and has lost just once on clay this year, falling to Serena Williams in the finals of the Madrid Open. This match should be pretty easy.

Jankovic's comfort level on clay may win her a set, but that will be it, as Sharapova will cruise to the semifinals.

Victoria Azarenka vs. Maria Kirilenko

Victoria Azarenka, the third seed in the competition, will take on Russian Maria Kirilenko for a spot in the semifinals.

Azarenka has never moved past the quarterfinals of the French Open in her career. She noted, to the Times of India, that clay is her weakest surface:

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"There's no doubt it's always been the most challenging Grand Slam for me but I feel like I'm finally understanding what I need to do to improve on clay," Azarenka said. 

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This will be Kirilenko's first quarterfinals appearance at Roland Garros. She has reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open in the past.

Azarenka has won three of the pair's five matchups and is the better player. But clay can be a great equalizer. Azarenka just lost in the second round of Madrid Open on clay. Kirilenko, who hasn't beaten Azarenka since 2007, does have a chance.

This match will most likely go to three sets, with Kirilenko giving Azarenka a lot of trouble. But Azarenka is just too talented, and will eke out a hard-fought victory.