Roger Federer: Bold Predictions for FedEx's US Open Chances

Can Roger Federer continue his resurgent rise to the top of the ATP with a second Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open?

It's one of the biggest questions heading into the final Grand Slam of the year. After watching Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic win the past nine Slams, Federer finally broke through at Wimbledon, helping him to regain the No. 1 ranking he once so regularly held. 

He appeared on pace to win his first singles gold medal at the London Olympics as well, only to fall to the man whom he bested at the Wimbledon final, Andy Murray. And with the two potentially squaring off in the semifinals, another epic clash between the two should be expected.

So what should we expect from Federer in Flushing? Can he solidify himself as 2012's finest player with a second Grand Slam title? Might he be in danger of being eliminated earlier in this tournament?

Let's make a few bold predictions for Mr. Federer.

He'll Cruise Into the Semis

The biggest potential challengers for Fed-Ex before the semis are Fernando Verdasco, Mardy Fish, Gilles Simon, Tomas Berdych or Sam Querrey.

Federer can lose to any of them—crazier things have happened this season, like Nadal losing to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon—but this is a pretty favorable draw for him. Plus, Federer has made seven of the last eight Grand Slam semifinals, so it's pretty hard to bet against him.

He'll Beat Andy Murray in the Semifinals

Yes, Murray is coming off a confidence-boosting, gold-medal win over Federer at the Olympics. However, Federer's semifinal match against Juan Martin Del Potro lasted over four hours, with a third set that was finally won by Federer in the third at 19-17.

I think it's safe to say he was a bit fatigued for the final.

Federer has prevailed in their only meeting at the U.S. Open in 2008, but picking Federer to win in this one is bolder than you might think. Take away that U.S. Open win, and Murray is 8-6 against Federer on hard courts. Federer will have a battle on his hands.

Given how strong he's looked in 2012, though, I won't bet against him. Not yet, at least.

He'll Beat Novak Djokovic in the Final

Djokovic is pretty darn good at the U.S. Open. He's made two straight finals at the tournament, winning in 2011, and he hasn't missed the semifinals at the event since 2006. In fact, Djokovic has made six of the last eight Grand Slam finals, winning four of those matches.

Then again, I could counter that argument by noting that Federer won five straight U.S. Open titles between 2004-08. Or there's the fact that Federer's victory over Djokovic in Cincinnati pushed his record to 12-9 against the Serb on hard courts.

Or hey, I could even note that Federer has simply been better than Djokovic in the second half of the 2012 season.

For most of the 2012 season, I bet against Federer. I thought Nadal and Djokovic had taken their games to a new level and left Fed-Ex behind. I was wrong. 

And I'm not going to bet against him. Not this year—2012 belongs to Fed-Ex.

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