Roger Federer: Madrid Open Clay Court Will Benefit Fed at 2012 French Open

Roger Federer's success at the Madrid Open will give him the confidence needed to dominate at the clay courts of Roland Garros in the 2012 French Open.

Federer will take on Tomas Berdych in the 2012 Madrid Open final on Sunday, and unless he plays surprisingly poorly, the Swiss star will add another trophy to his impressive resume.

The orange clay in Paris has been a tumbling block for Federer throughout his career, and he's won there just one time while also finishing runner-up five times.

Usually Spanish star Rafael Nadal is opposing Federer at the French Open, but Federer's performances on clay this season will give him more reason to believe he can upset Nadal on clay than at any point in his career.

Nadal hasn't looked as unbeatable on clay as he did earlier in his career, so Federer will have a great chance to win his second French open crown later this year.

While Novak Djokovic and Nadal were upset in Madrid, Federer has dominated the tournament by using his powerful serve and strong forehand to his advantage.

Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam Tournament since the 2010 Australian Open, nearly two years ago. It's the longest drought of this career since 2003 when he won the first of five straight Wimbledon titles.

Federer is playing at a high level right now and has the look of a confident player ready to dominate the summer and end his Grand Slam drought.