PARIS -- Monica Seles and Mary Pierce missed the French Open last year because of injuries. Now they're back. And back in the quarterfinals.

They joined other familiar names Sunday in reaching the final eight: top-seeded Jennifer Capriati, Venus and Serena Williams, Jelena Dokic. And some not well-known ones: Clarisa Fernandez and Paola Suarez of Argentina.

"It's incredible. It's a bit unbelievable,'' said Pierce, the 2000 champion, who needed a wild card to get into this year's tournament. "As soon as I came here, I felt something special, something completely different. I love playing here, I'm at ease. I'm at home.''

Seles, who won the last of her three French Open titles a decade ago, also showcased her shotmaking in a 6-4, 7-5 fourth-round win over No. 11 Daniel Hantuchova. Pierce, bothered by a sore back last year and unable to defend her title, stopped No. 9 Silvia Farina Elia 6-1, 6-2.

Each has the same assignment in the next round: Beat a Williams.

Seles next gets No. 2-seeded Venus Williams, who overpowered Chanda Rubin 6-3, 6-2. Pierce plays Serena Williams, who was in a bit of trouble until qualifier Vera Zvonareva began to wilt in the 90-degree heat, resulting in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 comeback win.

Seles, who has made it to at least the quarters in all 10 of her Roland Garros appearances, knows she'll have to lift her game.

She broke through against Venus Williams for the first time in the Australian Open quarterfinals, beating her for the first time in seven attempts.

"On certain court surfaces, just the way Venus plays, she has a big advantage with her serve and movement over a person, say, like me,'' said Seles, who hasn't been to a Grand Slam tournament final since the 1998 French Open. "I have to neutralize with other things and not give her that huge advantage in every service game.''

Capriati's fourth-round match against No. 20 Patty Schnyer on Sunday was moved after a long wait to go on the same court where men's top-seed Lleyton Hewitt was being upset by Guillermo Canas in four sets.

Capriati beat Schnyder 6-4, 6-4 to avenge a clay-court loss in Charleston, S.C., this year and set up a quarterfinal against the seventh-seeded Dokic, who downed Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 (3), 6-2.

"I've played Dokic. I like her game. It suits me,'' said Capriati, who holds a 3-0 edge in their meetings.

Fernandez, a lanky left-hander who upset No. 4 Kim Clijsters earlier, eliminated No. 13 Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, even though Dementieva at one point was mistakenly allowed to serve in back-to-back games.

And her friend Suarez, never before past the second around in eight previous trips to the French Open, upset No. 10 Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Serena Williams knows the crowd will be loudly behind Pierce, who was born in Canada and lives in Florida, but plays for France because of her mother's origins.

"I've had the worst crowds against me,'' Williams said. "So this is nothing.''