SHANGHAI (AFP) - Roger Federer got one over his old rival Rafael Nadal to win the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in a showdown between the two best players on the planet.
It was a 94th title for the Swiss legend, drawing him level with the great Ivan Lendl, and a fifth victory in a row against world number one Nadal.
Nadal, who admitted afterwards that he had been beaten by the better man on the night, was ahead in their overall record going into the clash -- 23 wins to Federer's 14.
But this time he was up against it almost right away.
Number two Federer put the Spaniard under the cosh in breaking him in the first game -- to roars of approval from the majority inside the arena.
Another break to 36-year-old Federer in the pivotal fifth game of the second set put him in reach of a second Shanghai Masters crown -- and a sixth title in 2017.
"We didn't think maybe we were going to have the year we did, I definitely didn't," Federer said on court afterwards, looking at Nadal, reflecting on their continued success even at this late stage of their careers.
"It's nice to share this court with you today and I hope there are more to come in the tournaments we've got left.
"It's been a pleasure playing against you here today."
Federer, fondly known as "Cow" in China for his laid-back personality, had started the better in grabbing the break and he then rattled through his own service game for 2-0.
Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam champion, was in full flow under the Qizhong Tennis Center roof, which was closed because of downpours in Shanghai.
Nadal, 31, fresh from winning the U.S. Open and China Open, groaned while lashing many of his shots; Federer was all quiet efficiency.
Somewhere in the stadium somebody rattled a cow bell.
Federer made it 4-2 with two booming aces in a row, drawing huge cheers from much of the stadium.
In contrast, Nadal -- a 16-time Grand Slam winner but who had never won the Shanghai Masters -- was labouring through his service games.
There were suggestions that Federer might not be quite as fresh as his old foe, having been pushed to three sets a day earlier in the second semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro.
The timeless Federer rubbished that notion as he seared his way to a 5-3 first-set lead.
Nadal sent down his fourth ace for 5-4, only for Federer to seal the set with his seventh ace of the match.
There was little between the great rivals in the early exchanges of the second set until the fifth game.
Nadal saved the first break point but could not survive the second one to put Federer in reach of the title.
Nadal, for whom defeat sees Federer close the gap at the top of the world rankings as the year approaches its climax, has nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable season of his own.

Sharapova Wins First WTA Title Since Return From Ban
Meanwhile,  Maria Sharapova won her first WTA title in more than two years at the Tianjin Open on Sunday, showing plenty of grit and determination as she came from behind in each set to beat Belarusian teenager Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 7-6(8).
The former world number one, who returned to the tour in April following a 15-month doping ban, started the stronger, breaking Sabalenka in her opening service game, but struggled on serve and soon found herself trailing 4-1 in the first set.
The Russian managed to hold serve for the first time in the match at 4-2 and clung on grimly in the face of some hard hitting by her 19-year-old opponent before converting her fourth break point of the next game to get back on serve at 4-3.
Her nerves settled, Sharapova began to hit her stride, breaking Sabalenka again to go 6-5 up before closing out the set.
The Belarusian, playing her first WTA final, came back in the second set, opening up a 5-1 lead before serving to send the match into a decider, but Sharapova once again fought back to erase the deficit.
The 30-year-old broke Sabalenka twice in succession and held her nerve when facing a set point on serve at 5-4 to level things up, and broke the Belarusian to give herself the chance to serve out the match at 6-5.
But there was more drama to come. The Russian, who sent down seven aces during the contest, double faulted when facing a break point to gift Sabalenka the game and send the set into a tiebreak.
Sharapova, whose last title came at the Italian Open in May 2015, had three match points but Sabalenka survived them all before double faulting with the score at 8-8 to hand Sharapova another opportunity.