New York ? There might be one athlete in the world who knows exactly how Roger Federer feels as he dominates his peers and gobbles up Grand Slams, so it was fitting that Tiger Woods was sitting in his guest box Sunday for the U.S. Open final.

Federer met Woods for the first time beforehand, then apparently set out to impress the golfer, controlling every facet of play in a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Andy Roddick for a third major championship this year and ninth of his career.

“More and more often in the last year or so, I’ve been kind of compared to Tiger … so I asked him how it was for him,” Federer said. “Many things were similar. He knew exactly how I felt out on the court … how it feels to be invincible at times.”

The Swiss standout is the first man since Ivan Lendl in 1985-87 to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles – and the only man in tennis history to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open back-to-back three years in a row.

“I played fantastic the whole way through,” Federer said.

He out-aced the big-serving Roddick 17-7, compiling a 69-33 edge in winners, and making only 19 unforced errors. Federer claimed eight of the last nine games against Roddick, who won the 2003 U.S. Open but now is 1-11 against the man he once was supposed to rival for supremacy in this sport.

“Roger is at the top, and he’s the only person at the top, regardless of how much people want to make rivalry comparisons and this, that and the other,” Roddick said. “He’s the best player in the game. There’s no question in my mind or if you ask any player about that.”

The No. 1-ranked Federer went 27-1 at this year’s Grand Slam tournaments, the only setback coming against Rafael Nadal in the French Open final.

Federer moved alone into sixth place for total major titles behind Pete Sampras’ record 14.

Federer has won nine of the last 14 Grand Slam tournaments, dating to Wimbledon in 2004.

“I’ve been on a roll since ’04, and of course I am surprised how well it went, but at the same time I know I’ve given myself the best possible chance,” Federer said. “In the end, maybe I’m not that surprised, because the hard work is paying off.”

Critical tests of wills and nerves came early in the third set: Federer faced four break points but saved them all to hold for a 3-2 lead, and Roddick then successfully dealt with five break points in the very next game to make it 3-all.

Serving to take that set to a tiebreaker, Roddick faltered. Or better, Federer flourished, using two backhand return winners to break serve.

Overall, Federer broke six times; Roddick lost his serve a total of five times in the tournament’s first six rounds combined.

Federer was beyond brilliant for the first 17 minutes, racing to a 5-0 lead with a mix of well-spun aces, curling passing shots, crisp volleys and reflex returns of Roddick’s serves topping 135 mph. When Federer hit his fourth ace at 131 mph to cap that five-game run, Roddick bowed his head and shook it.