David Ferrer cruises to victory over Richard Gasquet at Japan Open

David Ferrer overpowered Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2 Sunday to win the Japan Open for his third title of the year.

The top-seeded Ferrer was in control from the outset, breaking Gasquet in the first game of a match that lasted only 52 minutes.

"Maybe Richard was a little tired because he played last week," Ferrer said. "I'm very happy to win this tournament and just want to enjoy the moment."

The 25-year-old Spaniard won titles this year in Auckland, New Zealand, and Bastad, Sweden.

Ferrer became the tournament's top seed after defending champion Roger Federer withdrew because he said he needed rest after the U.S. Open and Davis Cup.

Gasquet won the Mumbai Open the previous week but was no match for Ferrer, who had seven aces.

"It's tough when you have to play against a guy like David, who rarely misses his shots," Gasquet said.

On Saturday, Venus Williams was upset by Virginie Razzano 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4.

Ferrer, ranked No. 8, improved to 2-0 against Gasquet. They met in 2004 in Stuttgart, Germany.

"He's a completely different player now," said Gasquet, ranked 13th. "He's playing very well now. He broke me in the first game, and I was never able to recover."

Ferrer became the first Spaniard to win the tournament since Manuel Orantes in 1977.

"I'm honored," Ferrer said. "There are some pretty big names on this trophy."

Past winners include Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe and Lleyton Hewitt .