US Open Tennis 2012 Bracket: Power Ranking Top Brackets at Flushing Meadows

Everyone has their individual favorite to win the 2012 U.S. Open, but there are still plenty of storylines to pay attention to before we get to the end. 

Looking at the brackets, it is clear the way that the draw is structured some players are going to have a much more difficult time making it through than others. 

But which brackets are the best of the best? Where will we see the best, most compelling matchups in this tournament?

Here is a power ranking of the top brackets at the 2012 U.S. Open. 

For a complete look at all the 2012 U.S. Open brackets, click here.

1. Women's Bracket No. 1 

Top Four Seeds: (1) Victoria Azarenka, (7) Samantha Stosur, (9) Li Na, (16) Sabine Lisicki

This is my pick for the best bracket at the U.S. Open. You have the immediate allure of Victoria Azarenka at the top, but when you dig deeper, her path to the finals is going to be clouded by a lot of really good talent she will have to get by early. 

The underrated candidate to come out of this bracket, if you want to call the No. 9 seed underrated, is Li Na. She is coming off her first win of the season at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open last week. 

Looking at other names in the bracket, Kim Clijsters, while not exactly what she once was, is still really dangerous and is capable of putting it all together under the right circumstances. 

2. Men's Bracket No. 2

Top Four Seeds: (3) Andy Murray, (5) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, (12) Marin Cilic, (15) Milos Raonic

Murray alone gives this bracket a lot of cache. He is playing as well as he ever has with the victory at the Olympics and advancing to the finals at Wimbledon. 

All told, there are seven ranked players in this particular bracket. Murray is the clear favorite to come out of it, but Tsonga is an underrated No. 5 seed. He can be the great spoiler who gets in the way of a Roger Federer-Murray semi-final. 

There is great depth and the potential for a lot of close matches, including Cilic vs. No. 17 Kei Nishikori in the third round. 

3. Women's Bracket No. 3

Top Four Seeds: (4) Serena Williams, (8) Caroline Wozniacki, (12) Ana Ivanovic, (14) Maria Kirilenko

I might be underselling this bracket just because of how dominant Williams can be even when she isn't on top of her game, but I don't trust a lot of players after her. 

I can respect Wozniacki and why she is ranked where she is, but she can fold like a cheap tent in the second round. Ivanovic has never been the player we all thought she would be when she was the ranked No. 1 in the world. 

That said, there is a lot of depth here. It is light on star power after Williams and Wozniacki, but there are eight ranked players who are capable of winning a few matches you don't expect them to. 

Williams is the star of the class, but pay attention to Kirilenko and No. 22 Francesca Schiavone. 

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