Madrid Open 2012 Scores: Roger Federer Beats Tomas Berdych In 3 Tight Sets

It wasn't easy, but Roger Federer held off Tomas Berdych to take the title in the last pre-French Open warmup.

Federer looked shaky early, falling 3-6 in the first set, but stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the second set. Berdych bounced back, holding serve to make it 5-3, but eventually fell 7-5. The Czech couldn't control his powerful serve, hitting three aces in a pivotal game down 4-3 in the deciding third set, but also double faulting twice, including once to give Federer the game.He won both of the final sets 7-5.

Rafael Nadal will always be the favorite on clay, but after he fell to Fernando Verdasco, the door was open for Federer to take the tournament. He needed two deciding games to pull out the victory, but it's a win on clay a week before the French Open, which isn't bad by anybody's standards.

You can check out the full men's and womens' draws at the official site of the 2012 Madrid Open. Keep checking this StoryStream for more results and scores. For more from the 2012 Madrid open, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated tennis hub.