Federer Again Spanks Roddick in Canada Masters

Posted on August 2, 2004

World No. 1 Roger Federer, who said he was "exhausted" after his Saturday semifinal win, showed that even a tired Swiss is enough to handle No. 2 Andy Roddick, beating the American 7-5, 6-3 Sunday to extend their anemic rivalry to seven wins in eight meetings for Federer.

It was the eighth title of the year for Federer, his third Masters Series title of 2004, extending his win-loss streak to 23 matches in a row.

"Andy, I'm sorry you didn't win another final," said Federer in his acceptance speech. "But in the future I'm sure we'll play many, many more great matches and you'll get your fair share of them."

If Sunday's match was any indication, don't count on it.

Federer went into the final already spent, with title runs in his last three events at Halle, Wimbledon, and Gstaad. Thursday he won two matches in one day due to rain, then Saturday played a long three-set semifinal against the human backboard Thomas Johansson. In the end it was Roddick looking a bit spent during the final after long service games due to the outstanding Federer return, and some long points on the slow hardcourts.

The MS-Canada makes for an amazing four titles on three different surfaces in Federer's last four events, and, barring any year-ending injury, an insurmountable lead at No. 1 on the ATP Rankings for 2004.

"I'd like to congratulate Roger," Roddick said in his runner-up speech. "You're certainly becoming very annoying...I thought I played the big points pretty well. He just made great shots...He just came up with the goods, he's just so confident right now."

In the doubles final, the legendary Indian duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, the oft-arguing pair who have briefly reunited to practice to represent India at the upcoming Athens Olympics, dismissed Jonas Bjorkman and Max "The Beast" Mirnyi 6-4, 6-2.

It was the first time the Indian duo had played a non-Davis Cup event together since 2002. In 1999, Bhupathi and Paes became the only team in the Open Era to reach all four slam finals in the same year.