Harrison v. Berankis
This matchup is notable for being the only one that features two players born in the ’90s. Ryan Harrison is the first American teenager to compete in an ATP World Tour semifinal since Sam Querrey competed at the Indianapolis Tournament in 2007. However, prior matchups have favored his competitor Richard Berankis. The 21-year-old from Lithuania has faced Harrison three times and has yet to lose. The winner will play either Michael Russell or sixth seed Dmitry Tursonov.
Muller v. Johnson
Luxembourg native and 2005 Farmers Classic finalist Gilles Muller and Trojan wild card Steve Johnson compete for the privilege to play against top-seeded Mardy Fish in the second round. Muller advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2008 U.S. Open but has never won a major tournament. Johnson, a rising junior at USC, claimed the NCAA men’s singles championship this year but has yet to prove himself on a professional level.
Haas v. Dimitrov
Tommy Haas enters the tournament as a wildcard, competing against seventh-seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Haas won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when Dimitrov was still 9 years old. Haas has won 12 singles titles in his career, including two wins at previous Farmers Classics. Dimitrov has had a much shorter career than Haas, but his junior accomplishments are impressive. In 2008, Dimitrov claimed the junior singles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The age difference makes this the first time either competitor has faced the other.
Russell v. Tursanov
American Michael Russell takes on Russian Dmitry Tursonov for the sixth time. Tursonov leads the series 3-2 and has defeated Russell the last three times they’ve faced each other. Russell’s last win in the series was in 2001 ““ needless to say, these two competitors will recognize each other on the court.
Ginepri v. Lu
Robby Ginepri and Yen-Hsun Lu will compete for the second-round spot against third seed Marcos Baghdatis, who has a first-round bye in the tournament, along with Juan Martin Del Potro, Thomaz Bellucci and Mardy Fish. Ginepri has won three singles titles in his career, but Lu leads the head-to-head series 1-0. The Taiwanese native defeated Andy Roddick at Wimbledon for the biggest upset of 2010, according to the ATP.
Devvarman v. Sweeting
Somdev Devvarman will face off against Ryan Sweeting in the first round of the singles draw. Career highlights for Sweeting include winning the 2011 singles Men’s Clay Court Championships, and advancing to the finals of the doubles round of the same event in 2009, where he and partner Jesse Levine lost to No. 1-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan. Devvarman and Sweeting have competed head-to-head three times prior to this, with Devvarman holding a 2-1 advantage.
Blake v. Berrer
A late addition to the draw, James Blake will compete against Michael Berrer in the first round. The winner will face second seed Juan Martin Del Potro, winner of the 2009 U.S. Open, in the second round. Blake has competed in countless grand slams and Davis Cups but has lost to Roger Federer three times in Masters finals. This match will be the first time both athletes have competed against the other. Berrer has finished runner-up two times in ATP World Tour tournaments and will look to improve his rank with a win over Blake.
Gonzalez v. Kunitsyn
The winner of this matchup will face either Somdev Devvarman or Ryan Sweeting in the second round. Fernando Gonzalez and Igor Kunitsyn have competed head-to-head only once, at the 2009 Sony Ericcson Open. Gonzalez took the match 6-4, 6-4. Kunitsyn is a native of Russia and recently beat countryman Marat Safin to win the 2008 Kremlin Cup.
Malisse v. Gulbis
Compiled by Eric Peck, Bruin Sports senior staff.