"I haven't played that well in a long time, " said the 2009 French Open champion.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Nadal's only loss at the French Open came against a similar player in 2009, the two-time finalist Robin Soderling.

WSJ: Heard on the Field

Swede Soderling had a tremendous 2009, reaching the final of the French Open, but this year had lost in the first round of all his tournaments.

CNN: Soderling and Dementieva claim titles

The women's matchups Sunday to decide quarterfinal berths are: 15-time major champion Serena Williams against No. 15 Roberta Vinci, 2008 French Open titlist Ana Ivanovic against No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova against No. 8 Angelique Kerber, and 2012 runner-up Sara Errani against No. 20 Carla Suarez Navarro.

NPR: Djokovic's Day At The French Open Ends In Despair

Ivanovic, who has slumped to 58th in the rankings since winning the French Open in 2008, was seeking to reach her first WTA Tour final since March 2009.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS