Federer sprints into Shanghai final

Roger Federer blasted into the final of the Masters Cup in Shanghai without dropping a game to Argentinian Gaston Gaudio.

The world number one from Switzerland needed just 49 minutes to dispatch Gaudio 6-0 6-0 in the semi-finals.

Still sporting a black brace to support a right foot injury which caused him to miss six weeks before the ATP’s season finale, Federer looked as good as ever after three tight victories to start the tournament.

In winning his 35th straight match since a loss to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the French Open, 24-year-old Federer improved his record to 81 victories in 84 matches this season, one win short of matching John McEnroe’s 1984 all-time record.

A victory in Sunday’s finals against David Nalbandian of Argentina will allow Federer to tie the record, but his dominance of today will be hard to equal.

Federer made 22 winners to Gaudio’s three, converted six of 10 break points and had five aces to Gaudio’s none in the first whitewash victory in the event’s 35-year history.

Nalbandian started out much like Federer before settling for a 6-0 7-5 victory over Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Nalbandian took Federer to three sets earlier in the event before posting straight-sets victories over Argentina’s Guillermo Coria and Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.