VIENNA, 13 October 2003 — Wimbledon champion Roger Federer overpowered Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to win the CA Trophy for the second straight year and secure his sixth title of the season yesterday.

The victory represents the first time the Swiss has successfully defended a title and boosts his hopes of capturing the world number one spot before the year end.

“It was very important for me to come back and try to successfully defend my title. I’m over the moon I finally managed it here today,” Federer said.

The 22-year-old is basking in his best season on the ATP Tour and is the most prolific winner this year with 67 match wins. He has already qualified for next month’s season-ending jamboree at the Masters Cup in Houston. The Swiss has now beaten Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, in each of their three encounters, including last year’s semifinal at this $897,7000 hardcourt event.

Clijsters Retains Top Spot

With Filderstadt Win

Defending champion Kim Clijsters held on to her world number one ranking with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 win over fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne to retain her Filderstadt Grand Prix title yesterday.

Clijsters took just over two hours to overpower Henin-Hardenne, who could have grabbed the number one spot herself with victory. It was the eighth time the two Belgians have met this year. Each has four wins apiece but two of Henin-Hardenne’s victories came in the French and US Open finals. In a match of lengthy baseline rallies it was Clijsters who was the stronger player in the final set after the first two had been closely contested. Although her serve was not working to its normal standard — she fired down just one ace — Clijsters proved the more persistent player.

Clijsters broke to lead 2-0 in the opening set, but Henin-Hardenne immediately recovered the break in the next game and saved two more break points to level at 2-2.

Clijsters held a set point on her opponent’s serve at 5-4 but made a forehand error, and she then dropped her own serve in the next game as Henin-Hardenne struck a trademark backhand volley. Perhaps having expended too much energy in edging the 56-minute first set, Henin-Hardenne claimed just one point in the first three games of the second. But she quickly recovered, and fired three consecutive aces to level at 3-3. But Clijsters maintained her challenge, and broke to lead 5-3 on her fourth break point when she forced an error from her return. Although she dropped to her serve to love in the next game, she broke Henin-Hardenne once more for the set.

Schuettler Makes It Two in a Row

In Lyon, France, Germany’s Rainer Schuettler won his second title in the space of a week when he beat Arnaud Clement of France in straight sets yesterday. This year’s beaten Australian Open finalist followed up his win in Tokyo over another Frenchman, Sebastien Grosjean, to dominate the final in 7-5, 6-3.

The top-seeded German, ranked sixth in the Champions Race, roared into the match by taking a 3-0 lead in the first set having broken Clement’s serve in the second game.

The Frenchman, himself coming off a tournament victory in Metz, fought back to 5-5 before Schuettler unleashed mainly right-handed baseline winners to close out the set.