The 2012 Paris Masters (BNP Paribas Masters) are down to quarterfinalists with Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer the two highest ranked players remaining in the tournament. Roger Federer, the World No. 1 for a few more days, withdrew prior to the tournament's start while Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have both suffered upsets. As a result of those events the conditions are now right for a surprise champion.

Friday's quarterfinals will feature the following eight players in four matches:

Gilles Simon (FRA) vs [5] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
[Q] Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs [8] Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)
[6] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
[WC] Michael Llodra (FRA) vs Sam Querrey (USA)

Only two players remaining in the tournament have experience winning a Master Series title and those are Berdych, a one-time Masters Series champion (Paris 2005), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the winner of the Paris event in 2008.

Berdych is a player that has be thinking that he has a prime opportunity to claim another Masters Series title. The Czech player has not won an event so prestigious in seven years now with missed opportunities at the 2012 Madrid Masters (l. to Federer) and at Indian Wells 2010 (l. Roddick). However one thing about Berdych that can't be ignored is that he has a lot of trouble closing out tournaments. The Czech player has spent years as a top ten player and he still only has eight titles to his credit.

Ferrer is the winningest player remaining in the Paris draw when it comes to singles titles. The 30-year old has seventeen to his credit however nine of those titles have come on clay and the Spaniard has never won an event as prestigious as a 1000 series tournament. Historical semifinal showings at Flushing Meadows and Melbourne Park prove that the current World No. 5 can hang with anyone on the hard court surface but without a Masters Series shield to his credit, Ferrer remains a player that's tough to have a lot of confidence in for the Paris title.

Tsonga, who plays Ferrer on Friday, might be the most dangerous player remaining in the draw. His best results have come on the hard court surface and they include an appearance in the Australian Open final in 2008. Additionally all nine of his career titles have come on the hard court surface and he has six additional runs to hard court tournament finals. The Frenchman will enjoy home support in Paris and the pressure of expectation has not put him on his back foot in the past: he has played well at the Paris Masters before with the title from 2008 and a run to the final just last year.

Tipsarevic, Simon, and Querrey are players talented enough to win the title but they are also afterthoughts. Jerzy Janowicz is a newcomer to big matches however the 21-year old has been turning heads on tour recently and that will see him into the top fifty soon. Michael Llodra is the player least likely to win the Masters and perhaps the French veteran was fortunate to have a draw through Juan Martin del Potro as the Argentine must have been depleted following his title runs in Vienna and Basel.

Quarterfinal matches are to be played on Friday with a starting time of 2pm (Paris time). With the usual suspects not in the quarters, the players still alive in the draw have to be thinking about the rare opportunity that they have in front of them.