US Open Tennis 2012 Draw: Likely Murray vs Federer Semifinal Will Decide Winner

The draw is out, and the path ahead is clear for the top men’s singles players at the 2012 US Open. If all goes accordingly, Roger Federer and Andy Murray will face each other in the semifinals, and this matchup will produce the tournament’s winner. 

Federer regained the ATP’s top ranking after defeating Murray in the finals at Wimbledon, and he is the top-seeded player in this tournament. Murray ranks fourth in the world, but he will be seeded third after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament due to injury. 

Murray avenged his Wimbledon loss at the 2012 London Olympics, winning the gold medal match against Federer on the same court.

Now, with Federer leading the way in the first section and Murray as the player-to-beat in the second section, the two men are on a collision course for an epic semifinal clash.

On the other side of the draw, Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer are the highest-ranked players. Murray and Federer have had excellent summers, and the momentum each player would gain from a victory in a third showdown would propel them to a win in the finals. 

Since the Olympics, Federer has continued his stellar form as he won the ATP Western and Southern Open. Murray has not fared as well, losing at the same tournament, then withdrawing from the Rogers Cup due to a knee injury.

However, making the Wimbledon finals and winning a gold medal will still give him plenty of momentum heading to Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic will be the favorite to meet one of these two players in the finals and will be the man with the best chance to win a match against either of them. However, he has not been able to dominate in the latter half of the year like he did when he was in the process of winning three consecutive Grand Slams.

Djokovic lost to Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon and in the finals at the Western and Southern Open. The Swiss would be the odds-on favorite to make it three wins in a row if he were to face Djokovic. 

Murray took out the Serb in the semifinals at the Olympics and has won three of his last five matches against Djokovic. The two players have split their last four contests on hard courts, and the advantage in this prospective finals matchup would have to go to the hotter player. Given Murray’s summer and the fact that he would be coming off another win over Federer, he would have the upper hand.

Murray vs. Federer will be the marquee matchup of this tournament, and whoever wins will carry momentum through to a victorious finals performance.