US Open Tennis 2012 Odds: Underdogs Ready to Shine at Flushing Meadows

With the U.S. Open coming after an exciting Wimbledon and stunning Olympics, there is a lot of pressure on the final Grand Slam of the year to deliver the goods. 

Even without Rafael Nadal, who is out due to injuries, the door is wide open for many possibilities. Obviously, all eyes will be on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the men's side and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova on the women's side, but there are a number of underrated players who can get the most of this wide-open field. 

Here are the players whose odds have us thinking they could be a great bargain for potential bettors when the action starts on Monday. 

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Men's Draw

Andy Roddick (100-1)

I am not drinking the Roddick Kool-Aid anymore, but at 100-1 odds, there is a lot to like about him at the U.S. Open. 

For starters, this is the only major tournament Roddick has won in his career. That was all the way back in 2003, but even last year he made it to the quarterfinals before bowing out. 

Second, Roddick has managed to win two tournaments this year. Neither of them have been very prestigious—Atlanta Open and AEGON International—though he is not embarrassing himself on the court. 

Long odds for a player with a serve like Roddick have to make you think twice before completely dismissing him. 

Tomas Berdych (66-1)

If there is one male tennis player to bank on, it would be Tomas Berdych. In addition to being the No. 7 player in the world, he has an impressive 37-15 record in matches this season. 

Sure, Berdych hasn't won an event since the ATP Open Sud de France in January, and he bowed out in the first round at Wimbledon and at the Olympics, but the talent is still there. 

At 26-years old, Berdych is still in his prime. He does need to get over whatever mental block he has at the U.S. Open—Berdych hasn't made it out of the third round since 2007. I believe in him at those odds in this tournament. 

Women's Side

Caroline Wozniacki (33-1)

While these are actually very good odds when compared to the odds other players are getting right now, Wozniacki is still far behind the very top of the female odds bracket. 

Her climb up the rankings was a little strange because she wasn't winning Grand Slam events, but she was almost always competitive in smaller tournaments. 

Wozniacki has not found much success in 2012, with a rather pedestrian 29-16 match record and no tournament wins. That said, the U.S. Open has been her best Grand Slam tournament. 

In 2009, she made her only Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open. She has made it to the semi-finals each of the last two years. Wozniacki is close to getting over that hurdle. Who's to say this won't be her year?

Ana Ivanovic (50-1)

One of the most inconsistent players, Ivanovic has not come close to matching the success she had in 2007-2008 when she was the No. 1 ranked player in the world.

This year has been especially tough, as she is just 25-15 with no titles and no finals appearances. Her best showing was a semi-final run at the Baripas Open when she lost to Maria Sharapova. 

However, I still drink the Kool-Aid. She is just 24-years-old and has made solid runs at the U.S. Open in recent years, including two consecutive runs to the fourth round the previous two years. 

It will take a lot of things breaking right, but Ivanovic's odds would give me some hope that she can figure it out. 

Follow @adamwells1985