Roger Federer: Biggest Keys for Fed's French Open in 2012

Roger Federer has his work cut out for him if he hopes to come away from the 2012 French Open with a second Coupe des Mousquetaires.

His fans—myself included—thought that perhaps Federer had found the fountain of youth due to his victory at the Madrid Open under horrible conditions. That notion was put to rest pretty quickly in the semifinals at the Italian Open, though, as Novak Djokovic easily dispatched Federer in two sets.

It was clear that Djokovic had the upper hand in that match and it exposed Federer's weaknesses. That being said, these are the biggest keys for Federer at the French Open.

Federer Must Improve His First-Serve Percentage Numbers

One of Federer's strongest attributes in the past has been his powerful serve. He has struggled this year with his first-serve percentage, though, and is ranked 32nd in the world in that category, according to ATPWorldTour.com.

For a man who's getting up there in age and physical resources, it's imperative that Federer starts doing better in this category.

When a player has to hit a second serve, they are forced to be more careful with the shot to avoid a double fault and take some of their power off the shot as a consequence.

Federer needs to get his first-serve percentage numbers up or his opponents will continue to benefit from returning his conservative second serves.

Federer Must Dominate the Ground Game

Federer's greatest strength has always been his incredible ability to pound his opponents with his forehand in the ground game.

Now that he's getting a bit older and slower on the court—especially on the clay—it's crucial for Federer to impose his will on his opponents using his forehand. He must make them react rather than reacting to them.

The best way Federer can do this is by establishing a one-two punch with his powerful serve and then his crushing forehand. That has been his recipe for success in the past, and now that he is getting slower on the court, it is more imperative than ever that he establish this element of his game early and often.

Federer Must Start Fast

If Federer has any hope of winning the French Open in 2012 he will need to conserve as much energy as possible for the later rounds. The best way to do that is by keeping his matches short and sweet in the early goings.

He must get off to fast starts in the early rounds. If he starts falling behind and having to go four or five sets deep to win, there's little chance he will have enough in the tank to defeat Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in the semifinals—if he gets that far.

There is a lot that needs to go right for Federer to win this year's French Open. He isn't the top dog in the sport anymore. That being said, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

If Federer can establish his dominant serve early on, pound away with his strong ground game and get off to hot starts, then he certainly has a good chance to pull off another Grand Slam title.