Juan Carlos Ferrero confirmed his return to form with victory over favourite and fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya in the final of the Tennis Masters Monte Carlo.

The clash between two of the sport's leading clay-court specialists lived up to its pre-match billing yet it was Ferrero who clinched the vital points to inflict Moya's second defeat in 15 outings on the surface this year.

He finished a 7-5 6-3 6-4 winner in a game largely played from backcourt.

For advocates of the serve and volley game it may not have made pretty viewing - but the consistent depth and power of the baseline shots made for an enthralling encounter.

Moya had the first chance to break at 1-1 in the first set when a fortuitous net call allowed him to build a 15-40 advantage only for Ferrero to show all his mental toughness by holding on.

And with the set edging seemingly towards a first set tie-break, Ferrero could hardly have timed the match's first break to perfection.

A cross-court forehand from Moya's short backhand created a glimmer of a chance at 30-40, and another powerful forehand within inches of the baseline forced Moya into the set-deciding error.

The 1998 champion's annoyance was evident as he hurled his racquet to the ground and a groin strain that grew worse in the second set - eventually requiring treatment - would do little to cheer him up.

But Moya still had enough fight to win the best rally of the match as Ferrero's spinning drop shot sparked a quick-fire exchange featuring an outrageous through-the-legs volley from Moya.

The larger picture was still developing in Ferrero's favour as his break created a 4-1 advantage from which there was no way back for the conqueror of Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Alex Corretja and Tim Henman.

Ferrero's list of vanquished opponents en route to the final had been only marginally less impressive, with Marcelo Rios, Tommy Haas and Sebastien Grosjean among his victims.

But despite the two-set deficit, Moya was not willing to become another name on his opponent's roll-call of conquests without a fight.

The result was a third set which developed along the lines of the first as both players worked the ball around with a mixture of power and panache as the score edged up to 4-4.

The statistic showing almost twice as many unforced errors for Moya was beginning to take its toll on the psyche of the 1998 French Open champion, however.

And, as in the first set, it was Ferrero who rose to the big points, breaking for a decisive 5-4 lead before allowing his adrenaline to help him serve out with some of the hardest hit winners of the day.