US Open Tennis 2012: Favorites That Will Be Upset-Proof in New York

If you're looking to wager on big upsets happening at the U.S. Open, you may want to avoid Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Serena Williams. They'll be in the finals. 

The allure of picking the underdog is always tempting, and more often than not, one of tennis' biggest names will be handed a stunning upset loss at some point in the tournament. 

Despite that reality, some stars simply have too much momentum to be denied and are destined to fulfill their expectations as a favorite. 

As the U.S. Open gets underway, these are the three superstars you don't want to bet against.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic comes into the U.S. Open as 3/2 favorite according to Bovada.lv and it's easy to see why.

Djokovic has been on an absolute tear this year and is playing excellent tennis. As the defending U.S. Open champion and the winner of the 2012 Australian Open, it's clear that Djokovic knows how to win on hard surfaces and he's been completely immune to upset this season.

Djokovic only lost to one opponent outside of the Top 10 and that was all the way back in March when he dropped a match to 11th-ranked John Isner at the BNP Paribas Open. 

Djokovic absolutely must win this tournament if he wants to establish himself as the No. 1 player in the world and it's a virtual impossibility that he finds himself even losing to many underdogs along the way.

Roger Federer

It kind of feels like Federer and Djokovic are just destined to battle each other for all of eternity.

The two have a rivalry that is easily one of the most memorable of the era and have played each other an incredible 28 times, including 11 times in Grand Slams. 

The two won't meet each other until the finals, but it's a pretty safe bet that we will still see the matchup happen again. Federer is on a tear and the battle to claim the world's No. 1 spot should be fierce as it plays out in New York.

Federer has been upset-proof for the vast majority of the season. He has appeared in the finals of each of the last four tournaments he has participated in, including Wimbledon and the Olympics. 

Much like Djokovic, Federer hasn't been "upset" since March. He dropped a match to 34th-ranked Andy Roddick. 

Federer is currently ranked No. 1 in the world for a reason—he's playing the best tennis right now and has too much experience to suffer an upset loss on his way to the finals.

Serena Williams

Moving to the women's draw, Serena Williams is currently the favorite with even odds according to Bovada. 

Considering Serena's shocking first-round loss at the French Open to Virginie Razzano, it may be considered a stretch to call Serena "upset-proof," but what she has done since has been nothing short of dominant.

Williams is 20-1 since that defeat, with a Grand Slam (Wimbledon) and an Olympic Gold medal to her name. Even more impressive is that none of those 20 victories have even gone to a third set. 

Expect Serena to continue her domination all the way to the finals.