Federer, Blake make it to Masters Cup Final

Shanghai -- In another classic between the two top players in the world Roger Federer overpowered Rafael Nadal on Saturday to advance to the final of the season-ending Masters Cup for a fourth consecutive year. Firing three aces in the first game, Top-ranked Swiss set the tone of a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nadal — his nearest rival in the rankings

"It was an excellent match with high quality," said Federer."I'm happy I came through because these are the matches I'm waiting for, to beat the best after me. So to beat him in the last one of the season is obviously fantastic for me.”

After getting past the man to who Federer has lost five times in 2006, he will now play American James Blake, who is making his debut at the year-end championship and was the last player to qualify for this eight-man tournament. The American has blossomed this season, winning a career-high five titles and making it to seven finals.

His latest victory came against David Nalbandian, the defending champion, in an exacting 6-4, 6-1 semifinal. His game has been convincing here so far. “It’s thrilling to make it into this tournament and playing as well as I am here is thrilling,” Blake said. “I’m playing my best tennis, and I think we can give the crowd the best tennis to end the year.”

“I would like to play James, to be honest,” Federer said. “He’s one of the fantastic stories in our game.” Blake is at the Masters Cup for the first time and has lost all of his previous five meetings to the Swiss Superstar.

Blake will now leave the tournament ranked ahead of Andy Roddick, the top-ranked American. “To finish the year as the No. 1 American, I hadn’t even thought about it coming into this tournament,” Blake said. “Now, to have that as a reality is, like I said, an honor.”