US Open Tennis 2012: Breaking Down This Weekend's Biggest Storylines

2012’s last Grand Slam is headed towards a thrilling finish, with several juicy storylines taking form at the U.S. Open.

Incredible upsets have already taken place in both the men’s and women’s singles competitions. Now, the tournament will start to heat up as the remaining stars continue their path through to the later rounds.

Flushing Meadows is sure to be the site of more drama this weekend, with showdowns and shockers in the near future.

Here are the top storylines that will continue to fascinate fans going forward.

How Long Will Andy Roddick's Farewell Tour Last?

Andy Roddick became the biggest story of the U.S. Open when he announced on this 30th birthday that he would retire following the tournament. 

Roddick proved in his first match that his serve is still as powerful as it ever was against Rhyne Williams and he beat his first-round opponent in straight sets. He will take the court next against Bernard Tomic and look to prolong his last time playing professional tennis. 

The U.S. Open is the only major Roddick has won and the only slam at which he has reached the quarterfinals in the past two years. The courts at Flushing Meadows treat him kindly, and he will be hoping this is still the case.

Every match could be Roddick's last, and until he is eliminated, he will be the tournament's biggest draw. 

Is Any Lead Safe?

American Mardy Fish rallied to win three straight sets defeat Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko after putting himself in an early hole of Thursday.

Fish became the 10th player in the men’s competition to come back from two sets down and win a match. The Wall Street Journal’s Jared Diamond noted that when the total number of comebacks was at nine, it was already the highest number at a slam since 2007.

Fish proved that the string of late charges is not over, and players who get off to a hot start this weekend must not take their foot off the gas pedal.

With so many strange results already, spectators will surely be treated to more thrilling come-from-behind victories.

Will This Be Andy Murray’s First Victory at a Major?

Andy Murray has never won a Grand Slam, but he has played excellent tennis this summer and looks set to cap off his run with his first title at a major.

The 25-year-old Scot is one of the most talented players in the world, but he has been unable to get past Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on tennis’ biggest stages.

August has been an eventful month for Murray. He was unable to beat Federer in the finals at Wimbledon but defeated Djokovic in the semis at the Olympics then took revenge against Federer to win a gold medal.

At Flushing Meadows, he has clearly continued his form and unleashed a dominant performance against Ivan Dodig. Murray will hope to keep his momentum going as the competition stiffens.

Who Will Be Upset Next?

The most surprising result from the first round came in the women’s competition when Romania’s Irina Begu defeated No. 8 seed Caroline Wozniacki.

Wozniacki sits 88 spots higher than Begu in the WTA rankings. The most surprising part of this match was that it was never close, with Begu winning both sets 6-2. 

The next shocker occurred when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is ranked sixth in the world, fell to Marin Klizan in the second round.

Klizan took the first set, then the match seemed headed for a predictable finish when Tsonga evened the score by winning 6-1. But Klizan seized the momentum and finished off the Frenchman. Now, the spectators can only guess at which highly-seeded player will be the next to fall.