• ATP World Tour Finals

Rampant Federer humbles Nadal in London

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Roger Federer signalled his intention to wrestle back the world No. 1 spot by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The Swiss player ended a difficult season on a high note by securing a 6-3 3-6 6-1 triumph over his long-time rival.

Federer's victory represents only his second win over Nadal since 2008, and his eighth overall from 22 attempts.

It was a match that promised so much - the two players, who have claimed 21 of the last 23 grand slams, both entered the match off the back of an unbeaten record at the tournament. Federer had cranked up the anticipation a notch after his semi-final win over Novak Djokovic by vowing to carry the fight to his Spanish opponent.

Federer did just that during a first set in which he made a mockery of suggestions that he was past his prime. The Swiss maestro won 100% of the points on his first serve, mixing up deliveries at will, while he showed his ruthless streak by snatching the only break point he was offered.

But, in his typically defiant way, Nadal came thundering back in a second frame that was as compelling as anything seen during the tournament. The world No. 1 managed to cause some cracks to emerge in the Federer serve, forcing a break after stepping into the second delivery with aggressive intent.

In the first season-ending final between the No. 1 and No.2 in the world, the scene was thus set for a winner-takes-all, deciding-set showdown. After seeing Nadal win three of the year's grand slams, Federer was not to be denied - and he crushed his fatigued opponent with two breaks of serve.

After the match, Nadal admitted he had been outplayed on the day: "I want to congratulate Roger. He played unbelievable throughout the whole week. It was a fantastic year for me, probably the most emotional of my career."

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