Tennis Masters Cup News
Alix Ramsay  |  November 21 , 2004

So the year ends where it began - with Roger Federer the undisputed King of the Hill. As expected, he absolutely marmelised Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2 to win his second successive Masters Cup title. That is not to denigrate Hewitt's fire, passion and abundant talent, it is just that whenever Federer steps on court, we have come to expect perfection. He usually delivers it, too.

He walked away $1.52 million richer having come through the round robin phase unbeaten and then having gone on to sweep all before him at the knock-out stage. Hewitt took home $700,000 - not a bad little Christmas bonus - having suffered the soul-destroying experience of being beaten twice by the Swiss master.

Hewitt is almost back to his best. He is as fast as ever, as determined as ever but now his serve is a weapon and he has that look in his eye again: he wants to win at all costs. But for all that, he still cannot touch Federer. In the final he tried everything he could think of but he could not make so much as a dent in the Swiss's defences.

The day had been long, damp and frustrating. As the rain lashed down, it looked as there would be no play at all and with the weather forecast looking grim for the next couple of days, there was an air of quiet panic about the Westside Tennis Club. Finally, when a small gap appeared in the clouds, the decision was made to reduce the final from best of five to best of three sets working on the 'get them on, get them off and let's get out of here' principle of running a tennis tournament.

But however frustrating and tiring the day may have been for the mere mortals, it did not seem to trouble Federer in the slightest. He was at his sparkling best from the off. Hewitt wasn't bad, either, but he was playing flat out just to keep a hold of his own service games while the champion simply cruised past him in top gear.

Federer conceded just 11 points on his own serve over the course of the two rain interrupted sets. He took Hewitt on from the baseline, he stymied him at the net and he pounded him with that forehand. It had been just the same earlier in the week during the round robin match and it had been even worse in the US Open final.

But as the weary and cynical old hacks traipsed out of the stadium, they were still impressed. This was Federer's 13th consecutive victory in a final - a new record overtaking Borg an McEnroe's run - and his 23rd victory over a top ten player in a stretch that goes back to the Masters Cup last year. Yet for all that he wins in sight - this was his 11th title of the season - you never tire of watching him.

Sampras in his pomp was magnificent if predictable but Federer invariably pulls off one moment of magic, one shot of genius that takes your breath away. No one knows quite how he does it - although his opponents would pay good money to find out - and even he is sometimes pleasantly surprised.

"Roger has really taken it to a new level," Hewitt said. "But that's what motivates you, that's what drives you. He just doesn't give you any cheap points on his serve. He mixes it up so well, he hits a lot of lines out there an he sets the points up so well with the serve."

As for Federer, he was relieved the season had come to a close and slightly stunned with what he had achieved over the course of it. "All the records I broke or equalled this year, it's been great," he said. "Like Lleyton said: the last year and half I have gone like a rocket."

That rocket is flying in an ever-higher orbit. The true test of Federer's greatness will come next year. There is only one way to go from the top and that is down. The question is how long Federer can keep defying gravity.

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