The 2012 Thailand Open (ATP Bangkok) is down to semifinalists following quarterfinal results on Friday. Janko Tipsarevic, Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon, and Jarkko Nieminen will all be vying for the 250 level title this weekend. Tipsarevic, the top seed in the tournament, will face Simon in the semis while Gasquet, the second seed, will face Nieminen.

Tipsarevic is considered the tournament favorite (Stan James 6/4) heading into weekend action. However, he does have a losing record against Simon, a player who has beaten the Serb in four of five head-to-head matches. Tipsy, who has played his best tennis in the last year and a half, did win their last encounter back in Madrid but that was on a clay court surface while the Bangkok event is played on a hard court. In three career hard court matches, Simon is undefeated against the current World No. 9 and that is a stat that can't be ignored heading into the semifinals.

Gasquet is considered the tournament's second favorite at this point (Stan James 13/8) but he could be viewed as the outright favorite based largely on his easier semifinal opponent. Nieminen, aged 31, does have an ATP title on the season and he is still playing well in what has to be considered the tail end of his career. However, with a 3-1 head-to-head career record against Nieminen in ATP tour level matches, Gasquet is the player that should have the confidence in his semifinal match on Saturday. Nieminen did pull off an upset in the quarterfinals by sending off Canada's Milos Raonic but it will still take back-to-back upsets in order for the Finn, the current World No. 38, to claim the title in Bangkok.

The final of the 2012 Thailand Open is shaping up to be Richard Gasquet vs. "Opponent yet to be determined." Simon and Tipsy are more or less in a 'coin toss' despite Simon's convincing head-to-head record. While that record sharply implies a victory for the Frenchman, what has to be pointed out is that the bulk of the matches that have been played between Simon and Tipsarevic were played before the Serb became the top ten player that he is today. Tipsarevic will face Simon at 1pm (ICT) with Nieminen and Gasquet to follow but not before 2:30pm.

Prediction: Tipsarevic vs Gasquet in the final.