Master keeps record intact

The Spaniard was no match for Federer’s blend of spins, power and volleying skills, managing only 10 winners to 38 unforced errors as he was forced to try to do too much with Federer getting everything back. Federer had 30 winners and 29 unforced errors.

Swiss fans said it all with a banner reading, “Shhh! Quiet! Genius at work.”

Federer faced a break point at 2-2, 30-40 in the first set, then ran off 18 of the next 19 points. The streak also started a stretch in which Federer won 30 of 33 service points through the end of the second set.

It seemed that no matter how well Ferrer played, Federer was just better, never giving up on a single shot, finding angles where none seemed to exist and moving even better than usual. Ferrer, constantly trying to pick on Federer’s backhand, hit two amazing winners while serving at 3-3 in the second set. Federer still broke him.

The normally placid Federer pumped his fist after hitting a backhand crosscourt winner two games later to end a long rally as Ferrer served. When he sent a backhand long on set point two games later, Ferrer smashed his racket on the court, nearly breaking it in two.

Ferrer got one last shot with three break points as Federer served at 1-1 in the third set, but couldn’t convert. Federer then broke him the next game on a forehand passing shot on the run.

Serving at 2-5, Ferrer double-faulted at deuce, and Federer finished it off with a forehand across court that went untouched. Federer, who already clinched the world No. 1 race for the fourth year in a row, lost his first round-robin match, then ran off four in a row, looking sharper each match.

He needed only 59 minutes to beat second-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, a day after allowing No. 5 Andy Roddick just two games in two sets. All matches were best of three sets until the best-of-five final.

In the doubles final, top-seeded Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and Daniel Nestor of Canada beat Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Julian Knowle of Austria 6-2, 6-3. The world’s top-ranked team of twins Bob and Mike Bryan pulled out of the tournament because of an elbow injury to Mike but hope to play when the US faces Russia in the Davis Cup final at the end of the month.