French Open 2017: Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova have double targets

Paris: The women`s tournament will have a first time Grand Slam champion on Saturday. Two of the favourites, Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova, are in quarter-final action on Wednesday as a maiden major and the world top ranking come into view.

AFP Sports previews the two big matches:

-- Simona Halep arrived in Paris billed as a leading title contender and she hasn`t disappointed through four rounds. The Romanian third seed is yet to surrender a set, shaking off an ankle injury that cast serious doubt on her participation in Paris. After crashing out of the Australian Open in round one, Halep`s form steadily improved and she won on clay in Madrid before finishing runner-up to Elina Svitolina in Rome. The Ukrainian leads the women`s game with 35 wins this season, lifting an impressive four titles -- her other triumphs coming at Taipei City, Dubai and Istanbul. Svitolina has matched her best run at a Grand Slam after making the last eight at the French Open for the second time in three years, but she needed to rally from 5-2 down in the final set to overcome world 290 Petra Martic in round four. A first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned on Saturday and the winner could well be the one who survives this match.

Head-to-head: Series level 1-1

Halep says: "I need to play again, because I lost that final in Rome with the injury. I was not happy about that. Now I have another chance, another challenge."

Svitolina says: "I think everyone knows who remains in the draw. Yeah, everyone is trying their best to get the title, because it`s a big opportunity."

Fast facts

Halep: Age - 25; World ranking - 4; Prize money - $17,219,302; Career titles - 15; Grand Slam titles - 0; French Open best - Runner-up (2014)

Svitolina: Age - 22; World ranking - 6; Prize money - $5,553,590; Career titles - 8; Grand Slam titles - 0; French Open best - Quarter-final (2015, 2017)

Path to the quarter-final

Halep

1st rd: bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-3

2nd rd: bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, 6-3

3rd rd: bt Daria Kasatkina (RUS x26) 6-0, 7-5

4th rd: bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x21) 6-1, 6-1

Svitolina

1st rd: bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3

2nd rd: bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

3rd rd: bt Magda Linette (POL) 6-4, 7-5

4th rd: bt Petra Martic (CRO) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5-- French hope Caroline Garcia had never got beyond the third round of a Slam before this year`s Roland Garros. The 23-year-old survived a raw test of nerves to defeat compatriot Alize Cornet in the last 16 in a tie overshadowed by a bitter feud between the two. She came back from 3-1 and 6-5 down in the final set to see off Hsieh Su-Wei in the third round. Two of her three career titles have come on clay. Second seed and 2016 US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who can take the world number one spot if she gets to the final, also arrived in Paris with a woeful record -- in five previous visits, she hadn`t got beyond the second round. Garcia won the pair`s only previous meeting on clay in Madrid two years ago. Neither player has faced a seeded opponent so far.

Head-to-head: Series level 2-2

Garcia says: "Sometimes I did panic a little bit (as a result of her poor record in Paris). I didn`t really know what I was doing, but I worked hard, I kept believing in what I was doing."

Pliskova says: "The crowd is definitely going to be tough. I`m expecting it will be huge and terrible. I played Fed Cup in France, so I don`t think it`s going to be worse than it was there."

Fast facts

Garcia: Age - 23; World ranking - 27; Prize money - $4,311,061; Career titles - 3; Grand Slam titles - 0; French Open best - Quarter-final (2017)

Pliskova: Age - 25; World ranking - 3; Prize money - $8,284,333; Career titles - 8; Grand Slam titles - 0; French Open best - Quarter-final (2017)

Path to quarter-final

Garcia

1st rd: bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-2, 6-2

2nd rd: bt Chloe Paquet (FRA) 7-5, 6-4

3rd rd: Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 6-4, 4-6, 9-7

4th rd: bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-2, 6-4

Pliskova

1st rd: bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 7-5, 6-2

2nd rd: bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

3rd rd: bt Carine Witthoeft (GER) 7-5, 6-1

4th rd: bt Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4