The Federer Express delivers Masters Cup title #4

Goodness! What else is there to say about what this great champion is capable of doing?!

Our tennis superstar capped yet another stunning season with his fourth Masters Cup title in five years. The world number one simply outclassed David Ferrer in straight sets, 6-2 6-3 6-2, in the finals of the season-ending championship held in Shanghai.

Ferrer had come into the finals as the only undefeated player in the tournament. He had defeated the likes of world number two Rafael Nadal and world number three Novak Djokovic in the round-robin stage and American number one Andy Roddick in the semifinals. But at the finals he had the misfortune of colliding with the tennis world's version of the Great Wall of China.

Indeed, the Spaniard's dazzling game showcased in his four previous matches seemed to have quailed in the presence of greatness across the net.

Both players had nervy starts with each falling behind on their first service games. But it was Ferrer who first succumbed to the pressure as he immediately fell behind after losing serve to love in the third game. After that, it was fairly routine for Federer to take the opening set.

The second set was no different although Ferrer began more confidently only to lose serve in the seventh game. Federer himself provided the highlights of the match during this set with an acutely angled backhand in the fourth game. He also produced a similarly brilliant backhand winner after a long exciting rally in the ninth game on the way to a second break of serve to take the second set, much to the delight of his cowbell-ringing fans.

Federer could have taken the crown at that point had this been a best of three but as this was a best of five match, Ferrer had at least one set to look forward to.

Egged on by flag-waving fans and a trumpet player in the crowd, Ferrer held three break points on the Swiss' serve early on in the third set but a supremely steady Federer fought them all off. And so instead of providing the hapless Spaniard more opportunities to get back into the match, the third set only served to prolong his agony. The defending champion was only too happy to put his opponent out of his misery as he converted a beautiful cross-court forehand from the baseline at match point and roared in triumph as Ferrer helplessly watched the ball go past him.

Federer was clearly delighted with his performance--and it was obvious as well as he signed the camera lens after the match--and rightly so. He had hit 30 winners to Ferrer's 10, 29 errors to Ferrer's 38 and he won 83% of the points when his first serve went in.

This 53rd career title for Federer was a fitting way to salvage a tournament that began so disappointingly with a shock loss to Fernando Gonzales in his opening match. His tenth loss of the season had come in the wake of two consecutive losses to David Nalbandian and caused many to speculate that the world number one was finally coming to the end of his reign.

The Masters Cup title also his eighth title for the year and brings his total winnings for the year to a record of over US$10M. On top of that, he was given yet another new car, a Mercedes--which I suppose he can easily exchange instead for "more CDs"!
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images