Madrid Open 2012: Roger Federer's Third Round Win Good for French Open Chances

There is no doubt that Rafael Nadal will be a heavy favorite at the upcoming French Open, but after Roger Federer's dominant (6-3, 6-2) triumph over Richard Gasquet in the third round of the Madrid Open, it's time to start believing in Fed's chances to win on the red clay at Roland Garros.

Despite Federer's greatness over the course of his career he has won the French Open on just one occasion, that being in 2009. Federer has won the other three Grand Slams at least four times apiece, but he has had the misfortune of having to deal with one of the greatest clay-court players of all time in Nadal.

While Nadal as well as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are going to be tough to deal with at the French, just as they are in every tournament, Federer's win over the No. 14 seed Gasquet would seem to suggest that the Swiss legend is in better form than any of his counterparts at the moment.

Nadal was knocked out at the Madrid Open by Spanish countryman Fernando Verdasco and Djokovic has complained about the tournament's blue clay, so it's obvious that he's letting distractions get to him as well. We've barely heard a peep out of Federer, however, and that just goes to show that he's locked in and ready to contend at the French.

Federer incredibly hasn't won a Grand Slam since the 2010 Australian Open, and while he has made finals and been competitive in every major since then, there has been talk that he may be on the decline. At 30 years of age Federer may not be in his athletic prime any longer, but he is still an elite player with more experience in big matches than anyone else.

Obviously it would be premature to say that Federer is going to win the French Open based off one win over Gasquet, but he's simply playing a winning game right now. He has looked to be on top of his game several times over the past few years, only to come up with a weak effort out of nowhere. But with so many people down on the third-ranked player in the world, I really like his chances right now.

Provided Federer continues to keep the unforced errors to a minimum, there may not be a player who can beat him. Federer is still athletic enough to get to every ball, so he simply needs to avoid being his own worst enemy. When he loses to Nadal and Djokovic, it is normally because he fails to play a clean match.

Federer isn't showing any signs of rusty play or anything of the sort, so I tend to believe that he'll enter the French Open on a high note. It is still fair to call Nadal the favorite due to his unprecedented success in France, but Federer looks like a much bigger threat now than he has over the past couple years and it should make for a great tournament.