Monte Carlo Masters

Juan Carlos Ferrero was never in trouble in the final

Juan Carlos Ferrero retained his title with a devastating display of clay-court tennis against Guillermo Coria.

The Spaniard came through 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 15 minutes.

Last year's French Open runner-up showed why he is very much the favourite, at this stage, to go one better at Roland Garros next month.

And he joins Bjorn Borg, Thomas Muster and Ilie Nastase as the only players to win the tournament two years running.

"It's very hard to win Monte Carlo twice in a row," said Ferrero. "Every year the players are the same, they are very good."

You have to play a perfect game to stand any chance of beating Ferrero Guillermo Coria

Play was delayed for an hour in Monte Carlo due to rain, and the threat of further showers caused the match to be shortened from best of five sets to best of three.

Coria admitted after the match that the conditions had not helped him in his first first Masters Series final.

"I couldn't relax, I was tense because we had to wait," he said. "The ball was very heavy today and my shots didn't come out properly, and he took advantage.

"You have to play a perfect game to stand any chance of beating Ferrero."

Photos from the final

The weather did nothing to disrupt Ferrero's rhythm, and he came out firing winners from the start against his Argentine opponent.

Coria has been in fine form this year, rising to number 26 in the world with the kind of play that saw off Carlos Moya in the semi-final.

I want to shut-up the critics who say I can't win the big tournaments Juan Carlos Ferrero

The 21-year-old lost to Moya in the final in Buenos Aires, and was only stopped by Andre Agassi at the Australian Open and Lleyton Hewitt in Indian Wells.

But world number three Ferrero was in a different class for much of the final, surging to a 3-0 lead in the opening set and quickly establishing a similar lead in the second.

Coria showed plenty of courage in slowing down Ferrero's march to victory, but the Spaniard had too much power and finished the match with a huge serve.

"I was perhaps expecting a tougher game," said Ferrero. "But I also played very well, with no mistakes, so it was hard for him to try and beat me."

And he made his intentions plain for the coming months.

"I have three goals in my career," Ferrero explained.