FEAR - FUL BACKHAND

VERTICAL RACQUET FACE AT IMPACT

JOKER HAS LAST LAUGH

Djokovic succeeded where Roger Federer failed, beating qualifier Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 Sunday to win the Sony Ericsson Open.

Canas upset the top-ranked Federer twice last month, including in the fourth round Tuesday. But the 29-year-old Argentine's relentless baseline game failed to faze the 19-year-old Djokovic, who dominated with his versatile shotmaking and held every service game.

Seeded 10th, Djokovic will improve to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings Monday. With his first ATP Masters Series title, the slender Serb became the youngest men's champion in the tournament's 23-year history.

Canas can take consolation in a career resurgence. Ranked as high as eighth before serving a 15-month doping suspension that ended last summer, he was 143rd at the start of the year but will climb to about 31st.

Djokovic mixed pace, spins and angles so well that some of his shots were beyond reach even for Canas, whose forte is retrieving. The Serb's repertoire ranged from 130 mph serves to feathery drop shots, including one to end the match's longest game.

That game in the second set lasted 20 minutes and 22 points and included an important replay reversal. Djokovic hit a shot ruled wide that would have given Canas a service break for 3-all, but the review led the umpire to order the point replayed.

Djokovic saved two more break points in the game, including one by outlasting Canas in a 37-shot rally, and eventually held for 4-2.

Djokovic faced only two other break points and erased them. He lost serve just once in 59 games in the tournament.

Even as he pulled away, Djokovic's teenage temper occasionally showed. He twice threw his racket and once slammed a ball into the net. He hardly had cause for anger, however, committing only 30 unforced errors while hitting 44 winners.

The sunny weather and grinding rallies seemed to favor Canas, the stockier, more physical player. But he began to clutch his left hamstring between points and received a massage from a trainer in the third set.

While he declined to blame the hamstring injury as a factor in his loss, he appeared to favor the leg when he double-faulted in his final service game to fall behind 5-4.

Djokovic wavered serving for the match with his lone double-fault and a wild forehand, but smacked confident strokes on the final two points for winners - and the championship.