The men’s quarterfinals conclude at the 2014 French Open with a rematch of last year’s final and a tall task for a home hope.

Rafael Nadal v. David Ferrer

David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal have played 27 times over the last 10 years. Only once has Ferrer won consecutive matches against Nadal. He achieved this feat seven years ago, defeating Nadal at the US Open and the year-end championships in Shanghai.

Before 2014, Ferrer had not defeated Nadal on clay for a decade. At times, it appeared as if Ferrer would never break through on clay against the man who has overshadowed him for his entire career. Not worrying about the past or what anyone had to say about his chances against Nadal on clay, Ferrer took the court in Monte Carlo this spring and constructed an equally marvelous and shocking performance, eliminating the King of Clay in straight sets.

Duplicating the performance he put forth in Monte Carlo will be immensely difficult. Nadal’s level of play has risen exponentially in the interim, and winning three out of five sets is nothing like winning two out of three against Nadal. While Ferrer won in straight sets in Monte Carlo, getting through Nadal in a best-of-five setting will most likely require him to win the first two sets again.

Court assignments might play an interesting role in this match. Nadal and Ferrer will be playing on Suzanne Lenglen as opposed to Philippe Chatrier, where they played the final last year. While one would expect court conditions to be fairly homogenized, players such as Fernando Verdasco and Novak Djokovic have noted that Suzanne Lenglen is playing much quicker than Chatrier. The increased court speed will allow Nadal’s heavy topspin shots to penetrate through the court at a much faster rate, but it will also make it easier for Ferrer to play offense. In his second-round match on Chatrier against Dominic Thiem, Nadal had absolutely no problems thwarting Thiem’s thunderous groundstrokes. Ferrer, who doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Thiem, would find it much tougher to break down Nadal on Chatrier.

Look for Ferrer to attempt to drag Nadal out wide on his forehand side to open up his backhand down the line. Ferrer effectively attacked Nadal out wide to his backhand side in Monte Carlo, delivering a steady stream of heavy topspin balls to Nadal’s backhand that yielded shorter, more attackable balls. Ferrer’s chances of winning this match will decrease significantly if he finds himself out of the middle of the court at the mercy of Nadal’s groundstrokes.

Nadal has yet to face a serious test throughout the fortnight. With his back problems still lingering, don’t expect this match to be as one-sided as the 2013 final.

Prediction: Nadal in five sets

Gael Monfils v. Andy Murray

Throughout the entirety of Gael Monfils’ career, he’s been looking for the precise formula that would allow him to properly utilize the absurd amount of skills he brings to a tennis court. Unfortunately for Monfils, and to the bemusement of French tennis fans, such a formula has not been and may never be found. At times, we’ve seen flashes of greatness, and at other times, we’ve seen flashes of ineffectiveness perpetuated by a desire to entertain rather than execute.

Despite all of this, Monfils is only three wins away from becoming the first Roland Garros champion from France since 1983. If he can bring the goods over the next five days, the Frenchman can cause problems to the other five players left in this draw.

The last time Monfils played his quarterfinal opponent, Andy Murray, the British star had no Grand Slam titles, no Olympic gold medal, and no clay titles. Today, Murray still has no clay titles. It’s no secret that he is far less capable on clay, and Monfils will be much happier seeing Murray on the other side of the net than Novak Djokovic or Nadal.

Murray and Monfils have met on clay on two separate occasions. Both came in the year 2006, when they had yet to turn 20.

The focus of this match will be on the aggression levels of both players. Murray and Monfils undoubtedly work better from offensive positions, but both are infamous for their tendency to enter stages of fruitless passivity. They are two of the fastest players in the world, and each uses his speed to enhance his defensive capabilities. What gets them into trouble is when they solely rely on their wheels and don’t employ their offensive ammunition.

Monfils will have the French crowd behind him, so if both players bring their top games to Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday, be ready for anything.

Prediction: Murray in five sets