Clijsters, Hingis Gun for Final Eight

MELBOURNE, Australia - Three former world No.1s will continue their collision course on Monday in Melbourne, as the last four round of 16 matches take the court at the 2006 Australian Open.

(2) Kim Clijsters (BEL) vs. (15) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) - Clijsters leads 8-0

Two of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's most in-form players will do battle for one Australian Open quarterfinal berth, as No.2 seed Kim Clijsters takes on No.15 seed Francesca Schiavone. Clijsters, currently ranked No.2 in the world, is coming off a phenomenal 2005 season, highlighted by winning her career-first major singles title at the US Open. In reaching the fourth round in Melbourne, the 22-year-old Belgian has extended her Grand Slam match win streak to 10, and is looking to go further, having already been a runner-up and twice a semifinalist here. Despite holding an overwhelming lead in their career head-to-head, Clijsters will face her first true test of the tournament against Schiavone, who is playing the best tennis of her career at the moment. The 25-year-old Italian was a finalist at four of her last eight events, including last week in Sydney, pushing Clijsters's compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne to three tough sets before surrendering. In the last round here, she pulled off the first double-bagel of 2006, shutting out Spain's Maria Sánchez Lorenzo in just over 40 minutes. While both players possess solid serves, incredible foot speed and tremendous fight, watch for their differences to come out in the rallies, with the Belgian attempting to dictate play with her flatter, more penetrating groundstrokes and the Italian relying on heavy amounts of topspin and opening the court with angles and shot variety.

(3) Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) vs. (16) Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) - Mauresmo leads 1-0

One of the Tour's most established players faces one of its most promising future stars, as No.3 seed Amélie Mauresmo plays No.16 seed Nicole Vaidisova. Mauresmo has one of the most impressive tennis resumes around, including 19 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles and a stint as the world's No.1 player during the second half of the 2004 season. The 26-year-old Frenchwoman is still looking for that elusive Grand Slam title. She has played her way into excellent form through her first three rounds in Melbourne, but will now have to overcome a big obstacle in Vaidisova, currently one of the Tour's most dangerous power players, who is seeking her first Grand Slam quarterfinal berth. The 16-year-old Czech made large strides last year, particularly post-US Open, capturing three titles in three consecutive weeks in Asia. She ended up extending her win streak to 18 matches in reaching her first Tier II semifinal at Philadelphia, where coincidentally it was Mauresmo who stopped her. The aforementioned encounter was the pair's only prior encounter, with the Frenchwoman winning 75 75, but the only things separating the two in that match were breaks of serve for Mauresmo in the final game of each set. Watch for Vaidisova to attempt to hit through Mauresmo with her big serve and flat, powerful ground game, while the Frenchwoman will mix up play with a variety of topspins, slices and ventures into the net.

(7) Patty Schnyder (SUI) vs. (12) Anastasia Myskina (RUS) - Tied at 2-2

Two players who have played some of their best tennis at the Australian Open will play for the quarterfinals, as No.7 seed Patty Schnyder faces No.12 seed Anastasia Myskina. Schnyder recorded her best Grand Slam result to date here two years ago, winning five rounds and giving eventual runner-up Clijsters all she could handle in the semifinals. The 27-year-old Swisswoman followed that up last year with her fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, making the Australian Open the only major where she has featured twice in the final eight. Despite winning her lone career major at Roland Garros in 2004, Myskina has a similar lift when she heads down under, the Australian Open being the only Grand Slam where the 24-year-old Russian has reached the final eight twice, in 2003 and 2004. These two have played four times previously, the series tied 2-all. Monday's match could go the distance, with both players playing some solid, error-free tennis so far at this event. Watch for Schnyder to prolong the rallies with her heavy topspin groundstrokes, while Myskina will be more likely to move into the court and flatten out her shots.

(WC) Martina Hingis (SUI) vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS) - First Meeting

Martina Hingis and Samantha Stosur, two of Australia's favourite faces, will do battle in the only round of 16 encounter between unseeded players. On one side will be Hingis, a former world No.1, five-time Grand Slam champion and six-time finalist here in Melbourne (three of her five major titles have come here). The 25-year-old Swisswoman is in the early stages of a full-scale 2006 comeback, impressing everyone with her solid play here in her first Grand Slam since the 2002 US Open. On the other side of the net on Monday will be Stosur, currently one of the world's best doubles players and Australia's greatest singles prospect. The 21-year-old from Gold Coast is playing her first Grand Slam round of 16, her run at this event including a straight set upset of No.21 seed Ana Ivanovic. In what will be the first meeting between the two, watch for both players to use a varied attack on the points, both having lots of doubles experience and a lot of talent when they come to the net, lob and drop shot, in addition to their respective baseline skills.