With six of the top eight women's seeds sailing smoothly through into the quarter-finals, the biggest surprise during the first week of the clay court grand slam in Paris has been the unseasonably cold and wet weather.
For the first time in the Open era, a complete day's play was washed away at Roland Garros but difficult conditions contributed to the demise of only two top seeds, number two Lindsay Davenport and number seven Nathalie Tauziat.
Swiss Hingis, who faces unseeded Chanda Rubin in the quarter-finals, has seemed more disturbed by the cold reception she has received from the Parisian crowd.
The jeers and whistles have been heard with increasing regularity at the Swiss teenager's matches, the crowd clearly not yet ready to forgive her for her behaviour during last year's final against Steffi Graf.
A series of tantrums during the final ended with Hingis arguing with the umpire, serving under-hand and angrily leaving the court at the end of the match before being brought back in tears for the trophy presentation by her mother.
But neither the hostile crowd or weather have been able to detract Hingis from her goal. The 19-year-old Swiss has dropped just one set in four matches as she looks to claim the one Grand Slam title missing from her collection.
Joining Hingis in the last eight is her doubles partner Mary Pierce plus a trio of Americans and three of the ever present clay court-loving Spaniards, led by three-times French champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
LAST FRENCH HOPE
Pierce, who has not always been able to count on the support of the Parisian fans, remains the last French hope. She now faces Monica Seles.
``I'm playing well and public likes that,'' said the sixth seed, the only survivor of a record seven Frenchwomen through to the third round. ``I'm not sure if I hadn't played so well that they would have acted the same way.
``But it's nice to have the public with me. But it's when you're losing or not playing well that you need the public. That's what I would like to know. Will they support me if I'm not playing well?''
Third seed Seles, number four Venus Williams and Rubin will carry the U.S. flag into the second week after the American men failed to see a player through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in the Open era.
Having missed much of the season with a sore wrist, Williams was not supposed to pose much of threat in Paris.
But the 19-year-old, minus her trademark hair beads, has showed no signs of the injury that had limited her to just two tournaments.
Despite her nearly six-month layoff, Williams has cruised through her opening four matches without dropping a set, and with each passing day has appeared more-and-more capable of lifting her first Grand Slam title.
She now takes on experienced clay-court player Sanchez-Vicario.
IMPRESSIVE SELES
Seles, who hoisted the French trophy three times in a row from 1990 to 1992, has looked even more impressive through the first week dropping just 16 games, eight of those during a 7-5 6-3 fourth round win over French 13th seed Amelie Mauresmo.
Rubin, the most unlikely of the three Americans to advance, faces the toughest task in the quarter-finals against Hingis.
``Any pressure is going to be on her,'' said Rubin, who has never before ventured beyond the French quarter-finals. ``If I can get on top of her, I feel like it will rattle her a bit.
``She's definitely a confidence player and if I can get ahead of her I think I'll have a good chance. I'm sure she really, really wants to win here. She wants this tournament really badly.
She added: ``I'm preparing for a battle because she's going to be fighting. I want to fight just as hard and we'll see who's the better person in the end.''
TOUGH SANCHEZ VICARIO
On clay, there is no tougher fighter than Sanchez Vicario, who has made it as far as the quarter-finals in 13 of 14 visits to Roland Garros, winning the title three times.
The final eight is also nothing new for compatriot Conchita Martinez, who has played for a place in the semifinals seven times in 13 years.
Martinez will certainly enjoy a huge edge in experience over her next opponent, 17-year-old Marta Marrero, who is just the second qualifier to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals.