The last two winners at the Pacific Life Open, Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and Russian Maria Sharapova, will collide in a highly anticipated quarterfinal after both made it safely through their fourth round matches, Tuesday in Indian Wells, while two-time champion Lindsay Davenport will confront third-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic.

Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko nearly played the role of spoiler in her first career meeting with Sharapova. She broke the Russian’s serve to extend the match to a third set – marking just the third time in 17 matches this season that Sharapova had dropped a set.

Bondarenko stayed even the 2006 titlist for most of the decisive set before the fourth-seeded Sharapova finally pulled through to maintain her perfect record for the season. She won the last three games to end the 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 affair.

Sharapova said: “I was just tough in the end, and it gets me through a lot of matches.  And the good thing is I give myself an opportunity to play another match tomorrow.”

Defending champion Hantuchova, the No. 5 seed, had a considerably easier time with India’s Sania Mirza, jumping out to a 5-0 lead to begin the match. Mirza made it more competitive in the second set as she broke the Slovak to go up 6-5, but Hantuchova broke right back and closed out the win in the tie-break, 6-1, 7-6(4).

“I thought it was a great match,” said Hantuchova, who has now won nine matches straight in Indian Wells. “Sania is a great hitter. I was expecting really a tough one, and just being able to be in the quarters without losing a set feels really great.”

The 24-year-old, who clinched her first Tour title here in 2002, said about playing Sharapova: “It's going to be an exciting match. She's playing obviously in great form, so it will be a good test for me. I feel like I own this place. I'm here and anything can happen.  I'm confident, but obviously if I want to win I have to play my best. Let's see if I will be able to do that."

Sharapova owns a 6-1 lifetime record against Hantuchova, her only loss coming in their first career meeting in 2004 at Tokyo. She said: “We've played each other numerous times and we know each other's games well.  But it all comes down to the person that takes their chances and is more solid.”

Last year’s runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the quarterfinals for her fourth straight appearance in the desert after defeating Dane Caroline Wozniacki, 6-2, 6-3. The No. 2 seed next faces tenth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who came back from a set deficit to oust American Ashley Harkleroad.

In the top half of the draw, top seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic survived a fourth round scare against Italian Francesca Schiavone. She broke the No. 13 seed late in the second set to go up 6-5, and used the momentum to carry her to the 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory and a quarterfinal matchup against No. 12 seed Vera Zvonareva.

Compatriot Jankovic the No. 3 seed, continued her strong showing this week with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues despite playing with a cold. She said: "I didn't want it show it, but I felt a little bit slow on the court. I didn't feel that strong. I felt a bit weak out there. I was trying my best and I was trying to get through this match so that I can just feel better in the next few days."

Jankovic will have one day off to recover before she faces Davenport, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over No. 6 seed Marion Bartoli. Davenport holds the 4-1 edge over Jankovic in their career series, but lost in their most recent meeting, last year in Beijing.