Mal's Picks
	Washington Former ATP Tour pro MaliVai Washington is providing ESPN.com with analysis during the French Open.

PARIS -- Today was a very strange day on the middle Sunday of Roland Garros with so many of the American women -- Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati -- falling out of the championship.

In contrast, nothing too surprising was happening on the men's side with the exception of Martin Verkerk coming through the draw out of nowhere to play his best match of the championship. He beat Rainer Schuettler in straight sets.

Fourth-round picks
Tommy Robredo (28), Spain, vs. Gustavo Kuerten (15), Brazil
I feel that Gustavo Kuerten is coming into his own at Roland Garros again. Robredo, a clay-court specialist, is coming off the biggest win of his career when he beat Lleyton Hewitt from two sets down. However, Kuerten has the advantage because he's been in this situation numerous times in the past. He is eager to prove to himself, to his fans and to the world that the Gustavo Kuerten of old is back and is someone to be reckoned with again.

This match will be played by two great clay-courters, but Kuerten just plays the game better.
Pick: Kuerten in four

Albert Costa (9), Spain, vs. Arnaud Clement (32), France
Under normal circumstances, I would predict that Costa would beat Clement in four sets. Costa has logged more time on the court in his three five-set matches than anyone left in the draw. I know from experience when you have a five-set match, you feel it in your legs two days later. He's shown a lot of guts to still be in the tournament. There's no way he's going to be able to come out onto the court tomorrow and survive another three- or four-hour match.

By contrast, Clement has not been extended past a 6-4 set and is as fresh as he can expect to be at this point in the tournament. With tomorrow's match being on Court Philippe Chatrier, Clement will have all of the support he needs.
Pick: Clement in straight sets

Juan Carlos Ferrero (3), Spain vs. Felix Mantilla (20), Spain
Ferrero has his biggest test of the tournament against Mantilla. Not only has Mantilla come into this championship winning the Tennis Masters Series-Hamburg but also he's only lost one set in this championship. He has quietly gone through the draw and looks to be playing the kind of tennis that had him in the top 10 a few years ago.

I do think that Ferrero has a destiny with Roland Garros. For the past three years, no one has won more matches at Roland Garros than Ferrero. I think he could reach the final again this year.
Pick: Ferrero in five

Fernando Gonzalez (19), Chile, vs. Jarkko Nieminen (30), Finland
Gonzalez hits the ball as hard as any player I've ever seen. Two years ago, 50 percent of those balls were going out. Today, 30 percent of those balls go out. He, too, is a clay-court specialist, who got very excited with the draw when Andy Roddick went out in the first round. Someone unexpected was bound to come through that quarter of the draw, and I think it's going to be Gonzalez.

Though Jarkko Nieminen is having his best Grand Slam ever, he hasn't impressed me with the players he has beaten.
Pick: Gonzalez in four