Federer is proud of his season

The words Roger Federer and breakthrough don’t seem to belong in the same sentence. But why not let the tennis genius explain his word choice after winning the Masters Cup for the fourth time in five years?

Federer, who beat David Ferrer of Spain, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, in the final at Shanghai to officially end the 2007 season, cycled back to the start, at the Australian Open, and kept on going.

“I thought the way I won my first Grand Slam without losing a set [in Australia] . . . beat [Rafael] Nadal for the first time on clay,” he said Sunday in a telephone interview from Shanghai. “I won my fifth Wimbledon, fourth U.S. Open and defended my No. 1 ranking -- that’s why I thought this year was a breakthrough.”

He kept on going.

“I also kept my rivals at a distance . . . I’ve beaten them more than they’ve beaten me,” the Swiss-born Federer said, mentioning other accomplishments. “It’s so many reasons, I thought.”

OK, the evidence does sound overwhelming when you put it that way.

“It does,” Federer agreed, almost giggling.

Today will mark his 200th consecutive week at No. 1, and here’s another number to consider: by winning $1.2 million in Shanghai against the overmatched Ferrer, Federer became the first player to surpass the $10-million mark in a season.

And to think he arrived in Shanghai facing some questions about the state of his game -- having lost twice to David Nalbandian late in the season.

They only increased when he fell to Fernando Gonzalez in the first match of round-robin action in Shanghai and, just like that, they all but vanished by the time he destroyed Ferrer in the final, hitting 30 winners to the Spaniard’s 10.

There is one more assignment before a short vacation.

Federer will be playing the man he is chasing, legend Pete Sampras, in a series of three exhibitions this week, starting Tuesday.

Federer, who remains two Grand Slams from tying Sampras’ record 14, was asked if this would be a good time for a reconnaissance mission, if he was going to ask what Sampras went through when he was pursuing Roy Emerson.

“We actually kind of did already,” said Federer, who hit with Sampras this year before Indian Wells.

“I spoke to him almost an hour after we had a great practice session. The comparisons of how it is for me and how it was for him.

“I’ll see what kind of a person he is and hear some good stories. I just want it to be a fun week.”

Whether it’s the pursuit of the Sampras record or fending off old rivals and knocking back new ones, there is no shortage of motivation for the 26-year-old Federer.

“For me, it’s important to be able to compete against the new generation. I’d like to be around for as long as possible, playing a really, really long time,” said Federer, invoking the example of Andre Agassi.

“I can play against new people we don’t know about.”

--

lisa.dillman@latimes.com