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SHANGHAI: World number one Roger Federer claimed his fourth Masters Cup title with a virtuoso display against David Ferrer of Spain on Sunday.
The Swiss defending champion dominated his fifth consecutive year-end final from the outset, winning 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 38 minutes.
Federer leaves with 1.2 million dollars in prize money, pushing his season earnings to a record 8,630,620 dollars, and a Mercedes-Benz car.
"I'm so happy," Federer beamed. "This is the year-end tournament championship where only the best play so for me to have won this yet again is a great experience.
"I'm looking forward to some vacation and then come back hopefully stronger next year."
Ferrer was left in no doubt about the quality of his opponent.
"Roger is the best in history," he said.
Federer entered the final as strong favourite against the sixth-ranked Ferrer after routing Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal to reach the final.
He volleyed his way out of a break point in his first service game and turned the tables with a mesmerising lob-and-volley in Ferrer's next game, converting the first break point as the Spaniard netted.
Ferrer was wilting visibly in the face of Federer's all-round onslaught and double-faulted to go two breaks down, and then netted a backhand to give up the set in just 26 minutes.
The terrier-like Ferrer is known for his chasing but it was Federer who was covering the court, cracking unerring backhands past the Spaniard, who hit a wild forehand to go 3-4 down in the second and was broken again to lose the set.
Federer fended off three break points at the start of the third and bent a running forehand past Ferrer to go 3-1 up, then completed the demolition by breaking again with another forehand winner.
Federer won the Masters Cup in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Only three players – Ilie Nastase, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras – have won the season-ending tournament four times or more.
It was Federer's 70th career final against just nine for Ferrer, highlighting the gulf between them.
Ferrer, who was competing in his biggest-ever match, has taken just one set off Federer in their eight meetings, all of which he lost.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed his best season yet, winning three tournaments and reaching a career-high sixth ranking. He was unbeaten in reaching the final, shocking compatriot Nadal along the way.
Federer, 26, was upset by Fernando Gonzalez in his opening match at the eight-man, 4.45-million-dollar event but then beat Nikolay Davydenko, Roddick and arch-rival Nadal.
Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Federer has won another seven tournaments this year including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, taking his number of titles to 52 and earning eight million dollars for the second season in a row.
- AFP/so
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