Federer has gone from ball boy to Basle champion

Federer overpowered the defending champion, hitting 14 aces and breaking Gonzalez's serve three times.

The final was a rematch of last week's Madrid Masters final, also won by Federer in three sets.

"It's magnificent," Federer said of winning the event where he once worked as a ball boy for the first time.

"It's one of the most beautiful moments of my career and also one of the most important to me after Wimbledon.

"Although I always wanted to be a professional tennis player, I never dreamed as a ball boy that I would one day be the champion here.

The pizzas are on me tonight Roger Federer

"It's also my one thousandth day as world number one, so it's a very fitting day for this to happen."

Federer took control of the first set when he broke Gonzalez with a backhand down the line in game six and then tore through the second set after taking a 4-0 lead with two further breaks.

To his credit, Gonzalez showed more resistance than he did in Madrid as the match went into what proved to be the final set.

The world number seven even managed two break points on Federer's serve when 2-1 up, but the nine-times grand slam champion saved both.

Federer stepped up a gear in the ensuing tiebreak, earning a mini-break with a fierce return on the opening point before going on to win it 7-3.

The Swiss star fittingly reserved his final thanks for the tournament's ball boys and girls. "The pizzas are on me tonight," he told them.