Australian Open 2012: Roger Federer and 5 Players Guaranteed to Fail

The Australian Open is the first major of the tennis season and could bring a first-time winner in 2012 since the likes of Roger Federer and the following players will fail to take home the title. 

Federer is starting to enter the twilight of his career and hasn't won a major since the Australian Open of 2010. That victory was only one of four titles at the open, and the major ranks as his third best. 

However, Federer isn't the only big name that will fail in the first major of the season. These other players will not have any luck in the Grand Slam tournament down under. 

Maria Sharapova

Sharapova comes into this year's tournament as the No. 4 seed on the women's side of the bracket. However, her high seeding has some nightmare opponents for her later in the tournament. 

She has tough matchups against fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round. If she can survive that match, then she'll have to get past Serena Williams in the fourth round. 

Here Maria will see her tournament come to an end, at the hands of a healthy and motivated Williams. 

Andy Roddick

Roddick has never won this major, and doesn't look like he is going to do it this year. The furthest Roddick has gotten was the semifinals (twice). 

However, this year, Roddick is stuck in an extremely tough bracket. If Roddick looks to head towards the finals, he will have to get through Janko Tipsarevic, Richard Gasquet, David Ferrer and possibly Novak Djokovic. 

That is quite the murderous row of opponents for Roddick to get through. 

Rafael Nadal

The 2009 Australian Open champion has not gotten past the quarterfinals since winning the title. This year doesn't look like the No. 2 seed in this year's tournament will get past the quarterfinals again. 

Nadal is dealing with a number of injuries that will keep him from not only winning the first major, but advancing to the semifinals. 

Which is a shame, because waiting for him in the semis would be Federer. 

Victoria Azarenka

Victoria is ranked high as the No. 3 seed. However, her bracket has her having to go through the talented Czech Petra Cetkovska, the No. 10 seed Francesca Schiavone and No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska before having to face off against the overall No. 1 seed, Caroline Wozniacki.

To go along with that tough road ahead of her, she has never had a deep run in this tournament. 

In six tournament appearances, Azarenka has only gotten past the fourth round once, and only to the fourth round twice.

She will be lucky to get to the quarterfinals, and if she can make it to the semifinals, she will lose to Wozniacki. 

Andy Murray

Andy Murray has been to the top of the Australian mountain in the last two years. However, he has failed to get past overall No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in '11 and Federer in '10. This year, Murray is back at it again as the No. 4 seed. 

However, this year, Murray will not make it to the finals, since he will have to face Djokovic in the semifinals. 

This is a shame for Murray, since it looks like both Federer and Nadal will not be in the other semifinals.

If he could have gotten past Djokovic this year, then he would have a great chance at winning the tournament. However, Djokovic being a thorn in Murray's side he will keep him from winning this year's tournament.

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