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Ivan Ljubicic (+900) vs. Rafael Nadal (-1100)
Ljubicic overcame a shaky start to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau in straight sets Wednesday. The Croatian, in his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, will have to seriously step up his game to beat defending champion Nadal.
Ljubicic has yet to face a player ranked higher than 78th in the world in the 2006 French Open, and will simply be outclassed by Nadal, who has now won 58 consecutive matches on clay.
The pick: Nadal
Roger Federer (-379) vs. David Nalbandian (+349)
Nalbandian has made a career out of dramatic upsets and near misses late in Grand Slams. He’s a gritty, tooth-and-nail competitor who doesn’t do anything great besides win. Nalbandian is also one of the few players on tour who can claim a winning record over Federer, holding a 6-5 advantage.
But Federer has won five of the last six meetings and even more impressively, has won 26 straight Grand Slam matches. Only Rod Laver, with 29, has won more. There may be value in a Nalbandian play, but Federer and Nadal seem destined to finally meet in a Grand Slam final where one very impressive streak will be broken.
The pick: Federer
Nicole Vaidisova (-118) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (+108)
Vaidisova has swept through the first five rounds, leaving names like Mauresmo and Williams in her wake. The 17-year-old Czech has already likened comparisons to Maria Sharapova for her stunning looks and powerful game.
Kuznetsova’s path to the semis has been much easier than Vaidisova’s. She ousted her first seeded opponent, Dinara Safina, in the last round. The 2004 U.S. Open champ is past the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.
The pick: Vaidisova
Justin Henin-Hardenne (-158) vs. Kim Clijsters (+148)
The 18th meeting between the two Belgian stars is as evenly matched as ever. Clijsters leads the rivalry 10-7, but Henin-Hardenne has won the last three Grand Slam meetings.
Clijsters` wins have been more impressive so far. She pounded a revitalized Martina Hingis for the second straight time in a Grand Slam and easily dispatched of 15 seed Daniela Hantuchova in the fourth round. Henin-Hardenne has breezed through her first five matches, and will be in for a rude awakening against a much stronger opponent.
The pick: Clijsters
Ljubicic overcame a shaky start to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau in straight sets Wednesday. The Croatian, in his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, will have to seriously step up his game to beat defending champion Nadal.
Ljubicic has yet to face a player ranked higher than 78th in the world in the 2006 French Open, and will simply be outclassed by Nadal, who has now won 58 consecutive matches on clay.
The pick: Nadal
Roger Federer (-379) vs. David Nalbandian (+349)
Nalbandian has made a career out of dramatic upsets and near misses late in Grand Slams. He’s a gritty, tooth-and-nail competitor who doesn’t do anything great besides win. Nalbandian is also one of the few players on tour who can claim a winning record over Federer, holding a 6-5 advantage.
But Federer has won five of the last six meetings and even more impressively, has won 26 straight Grand Slam matches. Only Rod Laver, with 29, has won more. There may be value in a Nalbandian play, but Federer and Nadal seem destined to finally meet in a Grand Slam final where one very impressive streak will be broken.
The pick: Federer
Nicole Vaidisova (-118) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (+108)
Vaidisova has swept through the first five rounds, leaving names like Mauresmo and Williams in her wake. The 17-year-old Czech has already likened comparisons to Maria Sharapova for her stunning looks and powerful game.
Kuznetsova’s path to the semis has been much easier than Vaidisova’s. She ousted her first seeded opponent, Dinara Safina, in the last round. The 2004 U.S. Open champ is past the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.
The pick: Vaidisova
Justin Henin-Hardenne (-158) vs. Kim Clijsters (+148)
The 18th meeting between the two Belgian stars is as evenly matched as ever. Clijsters leads the rivalry 10-7, but Henin-Hardenne has won the last three Grand Slam meetings.
Clijsters` wins have been more impressive so far. She pounded a revitalized Martina Hingis for the second straight time in a Grand Slam and easily dispatched of 15 seed Daniela Hantuchova in the fourth round. Henin-Hardenne has breezed through her first five matches, and will be in for a rude awakening against a much stronger opponent.
The pick: Clijsters