Mary Pierce continues her unlikely quest for a third Grand Slam title when the French Open reaches the quarter-final stage on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Pierce, who won the championship five years ago to go with her Australian crown of 1995, takes on world number one Lindsay Davenport [Images].

American Davenport is bidding to claim the only Grand Slam trophy to elude her.

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Pierce is the only French player left in the singles and she is revelling in the support of the Roland Garros fans, something that was not always the case.

"In the past it was definitely difficult for me because I did feel a lot of pressure, I felt a lot of expectation," the number 21 seed told reporters.

"Now I just have a lot of fun when I go out there. I like to enjoy the moments with the fans.

"On paper I shouldn't win. On paper I shouldn't have won the last two matches.

"But I'm playing my favourite tournament, playing on my favourite court. I've nothing to lose."

Two other Grand Slam winners will also be slugging it out for a place in the last four as Wimbledon [Images] champion Maria Sharapova [Images], aiming to become world number one, takes on 2003 Roland Garros queen Justine Henin-Hardenne.

MATCH POINTS

Since losing to the Russian teenager at her comeback tournament in Miami [Images], Henin-Hardenne has won 21 consecutive matches, including a victory over Sharapova on clay in Berlin earlier this month.

"Maybe it will be easier [than Berlin] but I think it's 50-50 for tomorrow [Tuesday]," said 10th seed Henin-Hardenne after saving two match points to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova [Images] in the fourth round.

"I have to recover mentally because today was a real drain on my energy."

Two other Russians are in action, seventh seed Nadia Petrova taking on Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic and 16th seed Elena Likhovtseva up against unseeded Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva, who beat Venus Williams [Images] in round three.

Roger Federer [Images] and Rafael Nadal [Images] can book a mouthwatering men's semi-final clash if they win on Tuesday.

World number one Federer, trying to complete the set of Grand Slam titles, is yet to drop a set and will be expected to ease past unseeded Romanian Victor Hanescu, the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist for six years.

Spanish teenager Nadal, who has been equally sharp on his way to the quarter-finals, meets compatriot David Ferrer, the conqueror of champion Gaston Gaudio on Monday.

"It's a complicated match for the two of us," said fourth seed Nadal.

"I'll have to play my best tennis to beat him."

French Open order of play on the showcase courts on Tuesday:

(all matches quarter-finals, prefix number denotes seeding)

Centre court:
16-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia [Images]) v Sesil Karatantcheva (Bulgaria)
1-Roger Federer (Switzerland [Images]) v Victor Hanescu (Romania)
1-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) v 21-Mary Pierce (France [Images])

Court Suzanne Lenglen:
7-Nadia Petrova (Russia) v 29-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro)
10-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) v 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia)
4-Rafael Nadal (Spain) v 20-David Ferrer (Spain)

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