Federer too strong for Safin in Hamburg

Roger Federer gave Marat Safin a dose of his own medicine on Sunday, destroying the powerful Russian 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Hamburg Masters.

Safin, so often the perpetrator of one-sided thrashings, was left shell-shocked by the Swiss 11th seed's superior strength on the Rothenbaum centre court.

The victory was a first Masters Series triumph for Federer and earned him $372,000. It also ensured Federer will begin next week ranked number two in the ATP Champions' Race with 299 points, just one behind Safin.

"Today I played really well," Federer said. "It has been a wonderful tournament for me... really incredible this week.

"I have played well all week and it gives me great confidence going into the French Open in eight days' time."

Safin, a former world number one with two Masters titles and a U.S. Open crown to his name, went into the title match as a strong favourite but Federer clearly had other ideas.

"He played too good today...I couldn't do much," Safin said.

"I have more experience than him and was probably the favourite but I didn't really play very well as you can see.

"I couldn't bring my tennis to the court and he played probably the best game of tennis in his life."

CLEAN WINNERS

Hitting clean winners down the lines from both sides, the pony-tailed Swiss kept sixth seed Safin lunging in vain throughout the first set which he clinched 6-1 before Safin had warmed up.

Breaks in the first and fifth games left the Russian trailing the second set 5-1 and he faced two set points as Federer could not miss.

The Russian saved both with full-blooded forehands before taking the advantage with a lightly-flighted backhand volley.

A booming serve fired down from his full 1.93-metre frame stopped the rot as he held to win only his third game of the match.

Buoyed up by the minor victory, Safin dug in. He repelled the red-shirted Federer's bullet-like groundstrokes and reached his first break point after 66 minutes of the match.

Although a weak lob helped Federer to save that, two points later he did finally get the breakthrough to claw his way back to 5-3 down.

Red-faced and frustrated, Safin watched as Federer belted his best efforts back past him, blunted his serve and broke again for a two-set lead.

MARAUDING SWISS

Safin, runner-up here to Gustavo Kuerten in 2000, was powerless against the marauding Swiss who was quicker across the Rothenbaum clay, more accurate and stronger.

Federer was a first-round loser on his two previous appearances in the tournament in 2000 and 2001 but could barely put a foot wrong this year.

He held serve to open the third set before breaking again.

The enigmatic Russian then broke Federer to love and held as he tried to mount a defiant stand in the face of a barrage of winners.

A series of clubbed returns saw him break again and, for the first time in the match, Safin appeared to believe he could launch a challenge. Federer stood firm, though, and broke back when Safin fired a double-fisted backhand long.

The Swiss held to nose ahead 4-3 but was pegged back 4-4 with victory in sight.

Another held service game put Federer within sight of his first Masters title and when Safin spooned a forehand long on the second match point he faced, the 20-year-old Federer secured his third career title in a match lasting just over two hours.

"I had done so badly here in the past that I was thinking of not coming again," Federer grinned.

"I now think it is a great tournament."