Remember that hellish draw that top-seed Serena Williams was presented with to kick off her quest for that elusive 22nd Grand Slam title? Well, here she is in the quarterfinals, and there isn't a Victoria Azarenka or Ana Ivanovic in sight.
There is, however, a Yulia Putintseva. Who?
Putintseva is a 21-year-old making her debut in the elite eight of a Grand Slam. She had the lowest ranking (No. 60) among all the women stacked in the top half of the draw in the fourth round. She's also the second youngest, after Madison Keys.
Don't underestimate her, though. Rest assured that Williams won't. Here are five things you should know about Putintseva that explain why:
1. The arc is upward
Although Putintseva has slipped slightly from her career-high ranking of No. 53 that she hit in April, she's young and still improving. She's seeing the ball big, as evidenced by her quality wins at Roland Garros against No. 28 Andrea Petkovic, Karin Knapp and No. 16 Carla Suarez Navarro. This is Putintseva's best Grand Slam performance yet. Her progress hasn't been spectacular, but it has been steady and marked by solid wins.
2. It's the right game at the right time and place
Williams isn't vulnerable to super-consistent players who lack power, or to players who are just cute and clever. If you want to beat her, you need to be extremely athletic and able to turn up the heat in rallies. Putintseva can do that.
Putintseva didn't win a main draw WTA match through the entire fall of 2015. But she got off to a rousing start at the Australian Open early this season with a first-round upset of Caroline Wozniacki. Putintseva was down a set and a break but turned it around, largely because she hammered out 42 winners against the passive Dane.
3. The variety pack
Putintseva said that growing up, she consumed matches featuring Jelena Dokic, Martina Hingis and Justine Henin. In fact, when in need of inspiration, she still goes to YouTube to watch Henin. Like her idol, Putintseva tries to mix up her game.
She can slice the backhand with one hand or drive it with two. She has a drop shot. Her favorite shot is the forehand, and she's nimble enough to set up an inside-out shot if an opponent allows. The major caveat attached to her game is size. She is just 5-foot-4.
4. Familiarity breeds comfort
Putintseva knows what she'll be up against; she already has played Serena twice, including once earlier this year at Indian Wells. Each time, Putintseva forced a first-set tiebreaker, then experienced a letdown and was crushed in the second.
Don't expect Putintseva to allow that to happen again if she can keep it close early on. "You know, she's a tough player," Williams told the press after her fourth-round win. "She's really hungry. I feel like she gives 200 percent on every single point."
5. Good bloodlines
Although Putintseva plays under the Kazakh flag, she's really a Russian. She pulled stakes and switched allegiance for the sake of her career in 2012. Born and raised in Moscow, her earliest years were spent training at the famed Spartak Club. Later, she moved to Paris to attend the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy. Now Williams' coach, Mouratoglou should have no trouble coming up with a game plan.