Roger Federer was not about to let Richard Gasquet ruin another one of his incredible streaks.

Playing under a retractable roof on a dreary Sunday in Hamburg, the world no. 1 paid back the man who wiped away his 25-match winning streak last month in Monte Carlo, earning a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Gasquet. Federer is now unbeaten in his last 19 finals and has lost just twice this year in 43 matches, once against Gasquet and once against Marat Safin in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Oddly enough, the clay courts at Hamburg have become something of a second home for Federer. The tournament hardly offers pleasant conditions, what with cold air, rain, and dampness that produce heavy balls and slow conditions that dishearten those who prefer fast surfaces (as Andre Agassi, who lost in the first round, will attest).

Yet Federer puts all this aside and plays punishing tennis just the same. Once the retractable fabric roof unfurls, Federer, known for his dominance indoors, enjoys even more of an advantage. He did not drop a set all week, dictating the play at almost every turn. He has now won at Hamburg two straight years and three of the last four.

Tony Roche, Federer’s part-time coach, said in January that his disciple would have to shorten points and volley frequently to win the French Open, rather than fall into the long-rally traps that more accomplished clay champs would set for him. Better for the Swiss to exaggerate his strengths, Roche’s thinking goes, than to use them sparingly for fear that the slow surface will neutralize them.

Federer followed the plan to a tee this week, and it was refreshing to see a man attack on clay more often than he usually does, rather than less. During his quarterfinal victory over Guillermo Coria, for example, Federer approached the net 20 times in the first 12 games, winning 17 of those points.

Against Gasquet, Federer jumped out to a 3-0 lead, breaking in the second game on an overhead that took a friendly let-cord bounce onto Gasquet’s side of the net. He saved three break points to take a 5-2 lead and routinely closed out the set.

Gasquet, who had to win two qualifying matches to earn a place in the draw, kept his head in the match. For much of the second and third sets, the 18-year-old Frenchman with a beautiful backhand found the consistency he sometimes lacks and played the better tennis, if only slightly.

When he hit a rough patch, however, his entire game crumbled. In Monte Carlo, Gasquet shocked Federer despite losing a 5-3 lead in the third set and facing three match points. This time, he played horribly for about two minutes in the second set, just long enough to commit three errors in four points on his serve, one of them preceded by a foolish drop shot (at love-40) that Federer retrieved easily. Despite forcing Federer to play from behind the entire third set, Gasquet could not break.

No doubt this week was good for Federer’s confidence as he prepares for next week’s French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament he hasn’t won. He hit sharp angles against Gasquet and varied his serves well, trying for fewer aces and relying more on kick serves that forced Gasquet to hit backhands above his shoulder. Overall, the world no. 1 looked fairly comfortable.

Yet, there is work to be done. At times throughout the week, including the final, Federer committed some unsightly errors. Over five sets in Paris, he will have to keep the error count down, as he will not be able to bail himself out with one swing as he might on hard courts or on grass. He could also use some luck – luck of the draw, that is. Any number of dangerous clay-court specialists will be lurking throughout the tournament, and Federer would be fortunate to avoid them and their grinding, relentless style of play.