TENNIS MASTERS CUP Wimbledon champ outclasses Roddick

Roger Federer plays Andre Agassi today for the title.
HOUSTON (AP) -- 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.
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.
By improving to 5-1 against Roddick, Federer set up a final today against 33-year-old Andre Agassi, who's trying to become the oldest champion at the season-ending championship.
Agassi rebounds
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.
Federer saved two match points during a three-set victory over Agassi in round-robin play Monday.
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.
Still number one
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. 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.
Multiple surface wins
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" against Agassi, who has plenty of energy, and he's needed it this week. All four of his matches have gone the distance.
Now, though, Agassi is in position to win an event he last ruled in 1990.
"There have been years when I've come to this event more spent than prepared," Agassi said.
But with Schuettler serving at 40-15 in the second set's opening game, the fifth-ranked Agassi quickly turned things around. 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.