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Zurich, Switzerland – In the second quarterfinal scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2007, No. 18 Tatiana Golovin of France prepares to meet her kinswoman No. 11 Marion Bartoli.

A disadvantaged Golovin earned her berth in the final eight with a victory over Serbia’s No. 2 player and World No. 5 Ana Ivanovic. Golovin’s victory marks only her second victory against Ivanovic, improving her record to 2-6.

Marion Bartoli arrives into the quarterfinal on the heels of a victory over [WC] Michaella Krajicek.

: Marion Bartoli +185 Tatiana Golovin -250

Match Time: 05:00 A.M. EST

Tennis Prediction: The higher ranked No.11 Bartoli is slightly disadvantaged by the odds makers in this match, and this in spite of also holding a 1-0 record over her compatriot No. 18 Golovin. How does one make sense of this?

In terms of ranking, players earn points based on results in events, with Grand Slams and major tournaments awarding more points for performance than lesser-known tournaments. The quirky Frenchwoman Bartoli started the year ranked No.18, and the first half of the season saw her ranking move as high as No.18 and drop as low as No.25.

Bartoli’s turning point came in the summer when she entered Wimbledon ranked No.19 and seeded eighteenth. To everyone’s surprise, Bartoli launched a successful campaign and marched all the way to the final, finishing as the Wimbledon runner-up (lost to Venus Williams). Although she lost, her impressive performance earned her with enough points to catapult her to her current No.11 ranking.

Aside from her impressive turnout at Wimbledon, Bartoli did not live up to the expectations her performance at Wimbledon set. Succumbing to the pressure, Bartoli turned out less than spectacular performances in her subsequent tournaments. During the European indoor hard court swing of the WTA tour, Bartoli achieved her best result in Luxembourg – a semifinal appearance. Bartoli then followed up with a first round exit in Stuttgart and a second round exit in Moscow.

In this her fourth indoor event, Bartoli is enjoying a good run, but frankly, she has yet to be tested in Zurich. Her first round victory was recorded against [Q] No. 49 Shuai Peng and her second round victory over [WC] No. 33 Michaella Krajicek.

Bartoli brings into her match a 44/28 record for the season, whereas No. 18 Tatiana Golovin arrives with a 44/16 record for the season (a considerably better win/loss ratio) and two WTA titles.

In Golovin, Bartoli will have her first test. Despite holding a 1-0 record over Golovin, a victory that Bartoli earned in 2006 in Tokyo (carpet), Golovin is the one who holds the edge.

Golovin is enjoying a career best season. Two weeks ago, Golovin finished as the runner-up in Stuttgart, lost to Justine Henin in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. At -250, Golovin’s chances to advance into the semifinal appear better.

Tennis Free Pick:Golovin in straight sets.

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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.