2012 U.S. Open Player Previews: David Ferrer

The quiet Spaniard had one of his loudest career results in Flushing Meadows in 2007, when he upset his countryman Rafael Nadal in the round of 16 and went on to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal. This grinder’s grinder is adept on all surfaces, having already won titles on grass, hard, and clay this season. At Wimbledon, Ferrer gave eventual finalist Andy Murray all he could handle over four tough sets, but he’s been in a slight slump recently—he was upset by Kei Nishikori in straight sets at the Olympics and went out on in the opening round in Cincinnati. At the majors, though, the fifth-ranked player in the world usually lives up to his seeding.

Why He Won’t:

Ferrer out-works 99 percent of the players on tour, but against the Top 4, hard work isn’t enough. He gets close, but he typically does not have the pop or the variety on his shots to get past them.

Why He’ll Win:

Ferrer is 0-14 against Federer and 5-17 against Nadal; otherwise, he’s shown he can beat everyone else. With Rafa missing, he’s down to one immovable object, and being seeded fourth means he won’t face the big names until the semis.

Bottom Line:

Although Nadal is out, Ferrer won't be able to avoid the other top guns. But he hasn’t done anything this year to make us believe he’ll upset one of them once he’s there.

More U.S. Open Player Previews:

**Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray

David Ferrer

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Juan Martin del Potro**

**Victoria Azarenka

Agnieszka Radwanska

Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams

Petra Kvitova

Samantha Stosur**