Roger Federer overcame a terrible start to defeat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 2-6 6-3 6-2 on Sunday to win the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

It was the fourth straight match in which the world's top player lost a set but nevertheless he found a way to win.

The Swiss superstar, who turned 25 on Tuesday, improved to 62-4 with seven titles this year, going 61-0 against all opponents not named Rafael Nadal.

Also the winner here two years ago, Federer has claimed nine hardcourt titles in North America since losing to Dominik Hrbaty in the first round of Cincinnati on August 3, 2004.

Gasquet, 20, stormed through the first set and put Federer in a 0-40 hole on serve in the first game of the second set.

But Federer won the next five points to hold serve, then broke Gasquet in the next game and maintained the advantage throughout the set.

The top seed earned the decisive break in the fifth game of the third set, then added an insurance break two games later.

He held easily in the eighth game to close out his 18th consecutive match win.

Federer was playing in his 17th straight tournament final, one shy of Ivan Lendl's ATP Tour record.

Gasquet began his season in disappointing fashion, winning only seven of 20 matches, but he has win 15 of 18 in his last five events, winning a grasscourt title at Nottingham and a claycourt tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Gasquet won his first meeting with Federer in last year's Monaco quarter-finals but has lost all five encounters since, including a 6-3 6-2 6-2 setback in the first round at Wimbledon.