The world’s top male and female tennis stars return to the spotlight this week outside of Cincinnati, where they will be gunning for a momentum-altering win at the 2012 Western & Southern Open.

Reigning tournament champion on the men’s side, Andy Murray will be looking to not only repeat in Ohio, but also prove that his Olympic gold-medal win in London was anything but a fluke.

Meanwhile, American Serena Williams will enter the women’s draw as the No. 2 seed, looking to successfully transition her game from grass to hard court, and ultimately upend top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska. 

The storylines run deep, and the questions are endless. But we’re here to help.

Here is everything you need to know for this week’s can’t-miss Western & Southern Open.

When: Monday, August 13, to Sunday, August 19

Where: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, OH

Live Stream: TennisTV.com

2012 Western and Southern Open TV Schedule

*All Information Courtesy of citytennis.com. 

What to Watch for on Men’s Side

Without a doubt, fans must be watching for the return of Roger Federer. We haven’t seen Fed on the tennis court since his three-set drubbing at the hands of Andy Murray at the 2012 London Games.

Although the faster grass surface will no longer provide Fed with an advantage as the players gear up for the summer’s final major, the U.S. Open, the Swiss star has proved in the past that he can make a smooth transition from grass to hard court. 

For fans hoping to catch Rafael Nadal in action, don’t get your hopes up. Rafa is still rehabbing a knee injury that kept him out of the Olympics and will most likely render him a non-factor until the 2012 U.S. Open at the end of August. 

Nadal’s rival, Novak Djokovic on the other hand, is coming off a win at the Rogers Cup this past weekend, where he annihilated the field and regained some much-needed confidence after bitter defeats at the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics. 

No disrespect to Juan Martin del Potro or David Ferrer, but it will likely come down to Federer, Djokovic and Murray at this week’s Open. The world’s best know that time is running out to reach top form. 

*Click Here to View the Men’s Draw

What to Watch for on Women’s Side

Similarly to the Nadal situation on the men’s side, defending tournament champion Maria Sharapova won’t be in action in Ohio this week, which makes Serena Williams the favorite in the eyes of many. Williams cruised to gold at the London Games less than a month after destroying the field at Wimbledon.

Other than Williams, though, fans should be zoned in on Samantha Stosur and Petra Kvitova, two women who could both make a deep run into Sunday’s final. Of course, Kvitova would have to upset Williams in the semifinals first.

With Sharapova out of the draw, the top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska is very vulnerable. She has yet to win a major tournament in her career, yet still ranks higher than Williams, Stosur and Kvitova in the WTA Rankings. 

You can bet the top women’s tennis stars will be aiming to take down Radwanska in Cincinnati this week. And based on the strength of the field on the women’s side, one has to like their chances of doing so.

*Click Here to View the Women’s Draw

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter For More Men’s and Women’s Tennis Reaction and Analysis.

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

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