When it comes to beating Andy Roddick, Roger Federer is No. 1. Displaying the fluid game that brought him the Wimbledon title, Federer outclassed Roddick 7-6 (2), 6-2 Saturday to reach the Tennis Masters Cup final.

Roger Federer returns a shot to Andy Roddick in the second set of his 7-6, 6-2 win in their semi-final match at the Tennis Masters Cup Saturday, Nov. 15, 2003, in Houston. Federer will face Andre Agassi n the Finals on Sunday. [AP]

Federer flicked backhand passing shots at impossible angles, stretched into the doubles alley for volleys and chopped a brilliant lob that Roddick could only watch drop in while being broken in the next-to-last game.

"He was reading the game a lot faster than me," Roddick said. "The guy has more natural flair and talent for the game than most — than anybody, really."

By improving to 5-1 against Roddick, Federer set up a final Sunday against 33-year-old Andre Agassi, who's trying to become the oldest champion at the season-ending championship. Agassi stormed back with an eight-game run after dropping a set and defeated Rainer Schuettler 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

"The week isn't over yet," Federer said. "Tomorrow is the biggest one of all."

Federer saved two match points during a three-set victory over Agassi in round-robin play Monday.

"He's going to make you work," Federer said. "It's my last match of the year, so I'm going to give it everything I have."

That was much tighter than Federer's semifinal, which he dominated in just about every aspect. He had 30 winners to Roddick's 12, won the point on 84 percent of his trips to the net, and even outaced the American 12-5.

Federer never faced a break point — and converted both that he earned.

Neither player broke in the first set, sending it to the tiebreaker. Three straight errors by Roddick gave the Swiss star a 4-1 lead, and a forehand into the net made it 5-2. Roddick reacted to that mistake by throwing his racket to the court.

A crosscourt forehand winner gave a set point to Federer, who converted it with an ace at 108 mph.

Roddick's right arm was massaged by tour trainer Doug Spreen during the changeover after the American held serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set.

Roddick — already assured of ending 2003 ranked No. 1 — didn't win another game.

He was broken to 3-2, with the final point reminiscent of the way Federer beat Roddick in straight sets in the Wimbledon semifinals this year. Roddick smacked a 128-mph first serve, but it came right back at him. That began an 11-stroke rally, with Federer hitting a deep crosscourt backhand to set up a backhand winner down the line.

That's just one example of the array of shots used by Federer, who will take home $1,520,000 if he beats Agassi on Sunday. He also can overtake Juan Carlos Ferrero at No. 2 in the rankings and break a tie with Roddick for the tour lead by claiming his seventh title of 2003. As it is, Federer's 77 match wins are a season best.

Impressively, Federer has won tournaments played on hard, clay and grass courts plus indoors this season.

At 22, he'll have a decided "age advantage" in the best-of-five-set final against Agassi, whose four matches this week all have gone the distance. Federer, meanwhile, has beaten all of this year's other Slam champions this week: Ferrero (French Open), Roddick (U.S. Open) and Agassi (Australian Open).

Against Schuettler, the fifth-ranked Agassi quickly turned things around. In the first game of the second set, he got to 40-30 with a backhand return winner, and then Schuettler let his racket slip away — along with the match.

On Schuettler's serving motion, the racket flew out of his right hand, skidding along the purple court and stopping 5 feet away.

The serve landed in, though, and Agassi returned it into the open court. All Schuettler could do was playfully kick at the ball.

"The grip was too wet," Schuettler said. "I was a little frustrated by that, and he stepped on the gas."

That made the score deuce, and an errant ground stroke by Schuettler handed Agassi his first break point of the day. Schuettler tried a drop shot, but Agassi chugged up from the baseline, exhaling loudly all the way, and smacked a deep backhand to the corner. Schuettler got there, but his forehand slapped into the net.

That began Agassi's eight-game roll to a 2-0 lead in the third set.

"That's why he's a great player," the sixth-ranked Schuettler said. "If you give him just a little bit of space, he takes over."

Agassi came to Houston after a two-month break, in part because his wife, Steffi Graf, gave birth to their second child in early October.

"After those months off, I came in here with some questions: 'Am I going to be ready?'" Agassi said.

The answer is obvious now. Thanks to that rest, and his always-superb conditioning, he'll end the season playing for a title.

Roddick, meanwhile, is looking forward to a rest after a breakthrough season in which he won his first major title at the U.S. Open and soared from 10th in the rankings.

"I'm upset that I lost, but I'm relieved that the year's over," Roddick said. "I'm going to kind of chill out for a little while now."

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