French Open 2013: Best Finals Matchups of Remaining Players

With Roger Federer ousted and Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal nearly set for a meeting in the semifinals, the mega stars of the men's draw won't be meeting in the 2013 French Open finals.

Djokovic still has to defeat Tommy Haas, and Nadal must get past Stanislas Wawrinka for the two to meet, but if that happens—as I predict it will—the two biggest remaining names will battle in the round of four.

Though the finale may be lacking some star power, it will be both refreshing and intriguing to see at least one new face going for it all at Roland Garros. Even if Nadal or Djokovic advance to the finals, fans are assured of seeing at least one first-timer compete.

For the most exciting finals matchup, the man whose upset changed the face of the bracket needs to be involved.

Tsonga in the Final Would Maximize Excitement

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga—who upset Federer—will battle David Ferrer for the right to play in the men's final. Though Ferrer is a long-suffering veteran, nothing would be more compelling than seeing the Frenchman Tsonga battle Nadal for the title in front of his countrymen.

Why not Ferrer?

The 31-year-old Spaniard is a hardworking battler, but Nadal simply owns him. Ferrer is 4-19 against his countryman, and that includes a 1-16 mark on clay. The lone time Ferrer beat Nadal on clay was in their first meeting in 2004; Nadal has won the last 16 times they have met on the surface.

There would be almost no appeal to that match because there is no reason to believe the outcome would be any different than the last 16 meetings.

Why not Djokovic?

Nole is the world's top-ranked player, but this is the French Open, and Rafa is king in this venue. To totally maximize the hometown-underdog concept, Tsonga should be facing the man who may go down as the greatest clay-court player in history.

Tsonga is 3-8 against Nadal lifetime, and he's never beaten him on clay. Can he draw strength from the crowd at Roland Garros? If this finals matchup happens, he'll need it.

What About the Women's Draw?

Victoria Azarenka Is the Only Remaining Player with a Chance to Stop Serena Williams

Serena Williams is truly amazing. At 31 years old, she is again proving she is the best player in the world. Her spot in the finals seems like a foregone conclusion. She still has to face Sara Errani in the semifinals, but it is hard to see Errani tripping Williams up.

In five previous meetings, Williams is a perfect 5-0 and has only dropped one set to Errani. Most recently, Williams prevailed 7-5, 6-2 at the 2013 Madrid Open on clay.

If Williams claims the expected victory over Errani, she could face Victoria Azarenka or Maria Sharapova in the finals. Azarenka defeated Maria Kirilenko (7-6, 6-2) to reach the semifinals, and Sharapova eked out a tough win over Jelena Jankovic (0-6, 6-4, 6-3). 

As the world's most dominant player, Williams has had enormous success against both.

However, her domination of Sharapova is more pronounced. In many of their matches, it appears Sharapova is mentally defeated before the match has even concluded. Williams is 13-2 against Sharapova during their careers, and that includes 11 straight wins.

Williams is also 13-2 against Azarenka, but Azarenka does have a win over Williams this year at the Qatar Open. If Williams is on her game, none of the three possible opponents will defeat her, but Azarenka is the only one who has hope.

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