French Open 2015 Schedule: Wednesday Replay TV Coverage and Live Stream Guide
The French Open waved goodbye to a star during each of the past two days. As the quarterfinals continue on Wednesday, one more top name will lose.
On Monday, Lucie Safarova ousted defending champion Maria Sharapova, snapping her streak of three straight finals appearances at Roland Garros. A day after the surprising upset, fellow No. 2 seed Roger Federer suffered an early elimination, falling to Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
Two top contenders are gone, and another is guaranteed to join them. In an epic showdown usually reserved for the final round, nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal squares off against No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic.
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Either way, an icon gets booted far too early. With two other primary remaining contenders also in action, Wednesday offers three marquee matches.
| 8 a.m.-1 p.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 |
| No. 1 Novak Djokovic | vs. | No. 6 Rafael Nadal |
| No. 3 Andy Murray | vs. | No. 7 David Ferrer |
| No. 1 Serena Williams | vs. | No. 17 Sara Errani |
| No. 23 Timea Bacsinszky | vs. | Alison Van Uytvanck |
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal
Last year's championship clash comes much earlier this year. Due to his 2015 struggles, Nadal fell to the No. 6 seed despite his Roland Garros dominance. In order to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic must beat the man who has eliminated him during each of the past three years, twice in the final.
Live Tennis presented a tale of the tape between the legends:
"DJOKOVIC v NADAL We preview the match everyone is talking about! http://t.co/OzXGvETUV8 pic.twitter.com/nUSyoQV88q
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 2, 2015"
The winner immediately becomes the favorite, especially with Federer out of the picture. Nadal, however, refused to acknowledge this showdown as an unofficial title draw, per BBC Sport's Piers Newbery:
"It is not the final, you know," Nadal said. "It's a quarter-final. And, no, the winner of that match will not be the Roland Garros champion. They will be a semi-finalist of Roland Garros. That makes a big difference. Even if it's a special match, it's a quarter-final match."
Nadal fell short in four clay tournaments leading up to Roland Garros, but the 28-year-old has displayed vintage form, winning all but one set during four matches. Djokovic, however, has captured every match in straight sets and remains undefeated on clay this year.
Recently, he also holds the upper hand in their storied rivalry, as noted by ESPN Stats & Info:
Given their deep history, it's hard to heed Nadal's warning and treat this as a regular quarterfinal bout.
Serena Williams vs. Sara Errani
Serena Williams isn't making things easy. The star has dropped the first set in three straight matchups, teetering on the brink of defeat against Victoria Azarenka and Sloane Stephens.
On Monday, Williams trailed Stephens 4-5 after dropping the first set. The 33-year-old then rallied to win the set and match, keeping her alive to face Sara Errani. ESPN Stats & Info tracked Williams' habit of starting slow before recovering:
As the top-ranked star explained to espnW.com's Jim Caple, she's not content with constantly needing to rally:
"But I don't really like to live like this. Believe me, I'm thinking, 'OK, Serena, pull yourself together. What do you do? Maybe you should go for a 5K before you walk out there.' You've got to do something to get your energy up in the first couple of points, first couple of games, first sets. So I'm definitely trying to figure that out, and I'm not really happy about my performance. It's OK to go two tough sets, but to go three sets back-to-back-to-back is on the verge of unprofessionalism for me.
"
With Sharapova—her greatest clay competition—gone, Williams has a clearer path to her 20th Grand Slam title if she can avoid any hiccups. She has won all eight career encounters with Errani, claiming six in straight sets.
In their last meeting, Errani couldn't keep Williams down after seizing the first set. It's a tough pattern to sustain, so look for Williams to strike early.
Andy Murray vs. David Ferrer
Whoever survives the Nadal and Djokovic battle can't celebrate too hard, as Andy Murray will be waiting in the semifinals if he bests David Ferrer.
In search of his first French Open crown, the 28-year-old has not lost on clay this year. Continuing his strong run of consistency, Murray will make his 17th consecutive quarterfinal appearance.
Ferrer, a sturdy mainstay seeded at No. 7, has served as a steppingstone for top-tier stars throughout his career. The 33-year-old, who made his one and only finals trip during the 2013 French Open, is still searching for his first major victory.
His end usually comes when colliding with a Big Four member, but he has topped Murray in all four of their clay meetings. That includes a 2012 triumph in the same round at Roland Garros, their only previous French Open encounter.
While Ferrer could play spoiler in a loaded quadrant, Murray will likely set up another top-line showdown with Nadal or Djokovic.
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