U.S. Open Tennis 2012: Federer, Djokovic, Murray Are Favorites

Can Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray repeat his London performance in Queens? The Scottish tennis star is, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, a favorite to win the 2012 U.S. Open, which begins today at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

With the men's draws finalized, the possibility of a rematch of the Olympics gold medal match between Murray and Federer adds an extra level of excitement to the tournament.

Spanish star Rafael Nadal will sit out this year's U.S. Open due to his ailing knees. Nadal is 13-1 over the past two years at the event, winning the tournament in 2010 and coming in second behind Djokovic in 2011.

An Arlington, Va. resident, Denis Kudla of Ukraine, will open play in the U.S. Open against Spanish star Marcel Granollers, who is ranked No. 24 in the world.

The No. 1 women's player in the world, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka, is a favorite to win the tournament along with American Serena Williams and Russian Maria Sharapova. The women's draws can be found here.

The first-round matches of the tournament will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel and ESPN2. For a full schedule of the tournament, visit the Open's homepage here.

For more U.S. Open coverage, visit SB Nation's tennis hub.