MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 today to win the Monte Carlo Masters for a fourth consecutive year.

For a second straight year, the Spaniard did not drop a set. Nadal has beaten the top-ranked Federer three times in the final, improving his clay-court record over the Swiss star to 7-1.

Federer blew commanding positions in each set, breaking the second-ranked Nadal to lead 4-3 in the first and racing to a 4-0 lead in the second.

Federer committed too many unforced errors, surprisingly on his forehand, to let Nadal back into the match.

The Spaniard has now won 22 consecutive matches at Monte Carlo since losing to Guillermo Coria in the third round in 2003. Federer was the last person to take a set from him in the 2006 final.

Relying too much on his forehand, Federer also missed routine volleys at the net, and made 44 unforced errors.

But the Swiss star seemed poised to even the match after hitting some near-perfect winners down the line and taking a 4-0 lead in the second set. Nadal struggled to hold his serve in the fifth game, but turned the match around.

Nadal rallied to 4-3, and Federer had four consecutive errors in the eighth game to lose his serve to love.

A weak backhand gave Nadal the match point and he took it at the first opportunity, before sliding on his back and raising both fists in the air.