Federer sweeps Agassi for Masters Cup title

 HOUSTON (AP) -- By the end, Roger Federer had Andre Agassi shaking his head.

Put simply, Federer served too well, returned too well, and struck ground strokes too well. Even Agassi was moved to say his opponent was "as good as it gets out there."

Capping a perfect tournament with another sublime performance, Federer beat Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in a rain-interrupted final Sunday to win the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup for his tour-high seventh title of 2003.

"I really overachieved," Federer said. "I've worked very hard this year, and it really paid off."

Federer earned $1,520,000 and moved up to No. 2 in the rankings, behind Andy Roddick. The Wimbledon champion went 5-0 against an elite field, including victories over the other reigning Grand Slam champions: Agassi (Australian Open), Roddick (U.S. Open) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (French Open).

And Federer was dominant, winning 11 of 12 sets.

"He's doing everything great. He's a great mover, a great striker of the ball off both sides. He's a factor from the back of the court and when he comes to the net," Agassi said. "His serve is very effective. He knows the game real well, knows court position."

Not much else, is there?

It was the event's most lopsided final since 1997. Agassi never managed one break point, while Federer conjured a 39-13 edge in winners.

"I'd just like to congratulate Roger, not just for a great match today but great tennis all week. You deserve to win this tournament, and it's an inspiration to watch you move and play," Agassi said during the trophy presentation.

Agassi is 33 and Federer 22, and it didn't help Agassi's cause that all four of his previous matches went the distance, including a round-robin loss to the Swiss star.

"Everything needed to be right. That's really the only chance you have -- if you're at your best," Agassi said. "Today he just took that away from me."

Agassi was the event's oldest finalist since 1978, and was attempting to be its oldest champion. He also was hoping to set the mark for longest gap between titles at the tour championship, having won it in 1990.

That didn't happen, but Agassi proved again that he has plenty of tennis left, moving up one place to No. 4 in the rankings and leaving with $700,000.

"It's been a hard week for me. It's been a lot of tennis after a two-month break," said Agassi, who took time off after the U.S. Open because his wife, Steffi Graf, gave birth to their second child. "If there's an edge off my game, there's no chance out there. That's how it felt."

Credit Federer with having a lot to do with that, before and after a 21/2-hour rain delay. Repeatedly, he'd drive a ground stroke to a corner, forcing Agassi wide, and then deposit his next shot into the open court for a clean winner.

Rain fell until about a half-hour before the match started and returned after 38 minutes of play. By then, Agassi was in serious trouble: Federer led 6-3, 2-0 and built advantages of 23-6 in winners and 7-0 in aces.

He also won four of the five points with 10 or more strokes -- an area normally ruled by Agassi, the consummate baseline artist.

Any thought that Agassi would turn things around after the delay vanished when he made consecutive errors after they resumed, handing over another break.

"My forehand was really working well, my first and second serves, my backhand was working well," Federer said. "The only thing I didn't have to do was volley, because I was finishing the points too early."

By creating pressure from the baseline, he never let Agassi get comfortable. And here's a scary thought: Federer and his coach say there's room to get better.

"He can still be stronger. He can work on his serve. His volley can get better," coach Peter Lundgren said. "If you look at his whole game, he can improve, for sure. Hey, he's only 22."

Roddick, 21, finishes the season at No. 1, but Federer won one more title and six more matches -- a tour-leading 78 -- and holds a 5-1 head-to-head edge over the American.

As Roddick put it after losing to Federer in the semifinals: "The guy has more natural flair and talent for the game than most -- I mean, than anybody really."