Federer Hat Trick At Indian Wells
World number one Roger Federer won his third consecutive Indian Wells Masters Series title by beating American James Blake 7-5 6-3 6-0.
The Swiss managed to fight off a furious start from an inspired Blake, coming from two breaks down to take charge.
After breaking to lead 5-3 in the second set, Federer reeled off the next seven games to finish the match with ease.
“I played fantastic tennis with some great shots,” said Federer, who has won 22 matches in 2006 and only lost one.
“I felt very confident on the court. I knew it was almost impossible that I was going to lose that final.”
Blake, who will be in the top 10 when the new rankings start, blamed his drop off on a few loose points of his own and the fearsome pressure applied by Federer.
“He did everything he needed to do to win,” said Blake.
“Instead of making him come up with a great passing shot, I went for too much, ending up missing, giving him freebies.”
Federer’s only loss this year was to Spain’s Rafael Nadal in the Dubai final.
