Two major champions seek quarterfinal berths at Roland Garros on Monday, when all four men’s matches feature a Spaniard.

Fernando Verdasco vs. Andy Murray

Fernando Verdasco is 30 years old, and the clock is ticking. Verdasco has never reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, and he may never be granted a better opportunity to do so again. Verdasco blazed through his third-round match against an injured Richard Gasquet and will now take on Murray, an opponent who has normally caused him problems but one who is beatable on clay. Murray earned his spot in the fourth round after overcoming Philipp Kohlschreiber 12-10 in the fifth set.

Murray and Verdasco have met on 10 previous occasions. The Spaniard’s only victory over Murray occurred in 2009, when he made his sensational run to the semifinals of the Australian Open. Their most recent, and arguably most memorable, meeting came last year in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. Murray rallied from a two-set deficit to take the match in five.

If there’s anything to keep an eye on here, it’s Murray’s fitness. Murray had to battle his way through 22 physically taxing games in the fifth set of his last match before ultimately crossing the finish line. But it’s in Verdasco’s nature to shorten rallies, which should make it tougher for him to push Murray physically.

Murray will be intent on ensuring that Verdasco plays as many backhands as possible. Verdasco’s forehand is deadly when on, and if Murray becomes overly passive, he will pay the price. The Spaniard will be looking to force Murray into using his entire repertoire of shots and the full caliber of his retrieving skills. One problem Verdasco will have is attacking with his cross-court forehand. Murray’s backhand is one of the best in the world, and he should have no problem countering Verdasco’s heavy cross-court forehand strikes.

Prediction: Verdasco in five sets

David Ferrer v. Kevin Anderson

David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal are each one victory away from setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal. Nadal will square off against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in a match that appears to be an absolute lock for the eight-time French Open champion, while Ferrer faces an ostensibly sterner test against Kevin Anderson. Anderson and Ferrer have split their first four meetings, which included a clash in the fourth round of the 2013 French Open. Anderson was only able to muster five games in a match completely dominated by Ferrer.

Neither player has dropped a set throughout the tournament. Anderson in particular should come in very fresh after Ivo Karlovic retired following the first set of their third -ound match. Ferrer’s fitness is never in question, so physical factors shouldn’t play a role.

Tennis is a sport of matchups, and there are just some matchups that are great for one player and not so great for the other. This match presents a perfect example of this phenomenon. Anderson relies heavily on the pace he can generate off his serve and groundstrokes. Fortunately for Ferrer, he is in the top echelon of returners and defenders. Look for the Spaniard to continually force Anderson to play one extra shot.

Ferrer’s depth will also cause major issues for the South African. Anderson has a tendency to hit his opponent’s deep balls with his body weight moving backwards. When his body weight isn’t moving forward, he produces less pace and less depth. That’s a recipe for failure against Ferrer.

Don’t expect a vastly different result from last year’s match, but Anderson should be able to make things a bit closer.

Prediction: Ferrer in four sets

Gael Monfils v. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez will be playing in the biggest match of his career as he takes on the French home hope, Gael Monfils, on Court Philippe Chatrier. Garcia-Lopez has been a mainstay in the main draws of Grand Slams since 2005 but had never advanced past the third round of any major event until now.

Gael Monfils last saw the fourth round of a major event in 2011, when he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. While this may seem like a golden opportunity for Monfils to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open yet again, Garcia-Lopez cannot be underestimated. The Spaniard took down the Casablanca title earlier this spring, beat Tomas Berdych in Monte Carlo, troubled Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo, and upset Stan Wawrinka last week.

Garcia-Lopez is playing the best tennis of his career. If Monfils pieces together a disjointed match filled with ups and downs, this veteran will have no trouble taking advantage. In his match against Fognini, Monfils hit 23 winners and 56 unforced errors. Against someone as steady and solid from the back of the court as Garcia-Lopez, such a gigantic disparity is going to put Monfils in a serious predicament.

Monfils hasn’t played someone as consistent as Garcia-Lopez in his first three matches. It’ll be interesting to see if Monfils can control his aggression and rein in his adrenaline in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: Garcia-Lopez in four sets

Rafael Nadal v. Dusan Lajovic

In a match pitting the highest- and lowest-ranked players left in the tournament against each other, Rafael Nadal will be squaring off against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. While this might not be the only time Nadal sees a Serbian on the other side of the net in the next week, Lajovic will be looking to pull off an upset for the ages.

Nadal and Lajovic, as should surprise nobody, will be meeting for the first time. This is also the first time Lajovic has advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam. Amazingly enough, this is only his second appearance in the main draw of a major.

Lajovic has already beaten a talented lefty who hits with heavy topspin. Argentine Federico Delbonis was the victim of a straight-sets thrashing by Lajovic in the opening round. Lajovic was the beneficiary of an opened-up draw after Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Haas both exited the tournament with injuries in the first round. He reached the fourth round after beating Jurgen Zopp and Jack Sock.

Nadal cruised through his opening two matches against Robby Ginepri and Dominic Thiem before being dealt a more serious test by Leonardo Mayer in the third round.

Lajovic is obviously facing an uphill battle, only exacerbated by the fact that he sports a one-handed backhand. In addition, Lajovic doesn’t possess the earth=shattering power needed to blow Nadal off the court. Look for Nadal to take care of this match extremely quickly, conceding fewer than eight games.

Prediction: Nadal in three sets