NEW YORK - Walking off the court after being overwhelmed by Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt gently tapped the Swiss star on the stomach.

That was about the only way Hewitt could touch him.

In a display of sheer dominance, Federer won the U.S. Open final 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 Sunday by trouncing an opponent who had not yet lost a single set in the tournament.

Federer became the first man to win three majors in a year since Mats Wilander in 1988. Having also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Federer's lone Grand Slam miss came in a third-round loss in the French Open to three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten.

"Traveling the world, being No. 1 in tennis, isn't so bad," he said. "I'd like to be a superstar."

This marked the first time there were a pair of shutout sets in the event's title match since 1884. It has happened in a Grand Slam final just four times overall - it occurred twice in the French Open.

Federer finished it off with one final forehand winner, a blazer down the line. He let loose a whoop, raised both arms, fell to his knees and rolled over.

Then it hit him, what he'd done.

"I think the first moment is when I was lying on my back and I saw the lights of the stadium and I thought, 'This is unbelievable.'"

Asked on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium what more he could've accomplished, he smiled and offered, "That's all I got."

A day after Svetlana Kuznetsova swept out Elena Dementieva of an all-Russian final for the women's title, Federer also quickly got it over.

He did it without a lot of fanfare - in a two-week tournament sometimes marked by blown calls and the arguing and pointing that followed, Federer efficiently went about his business.

At 23, Federer improved to 4-0 in major finals, making him the first player in the Open era - from 1968 on - to start out that way. And he raised more questions about whether he'd someday match Pete Sampras' mark of 14 Grand Slam singles titles.

"I'm still all the way in the beginning," he said. "I hope I can keep it up as long as I can. Once I get sick and tired of everything, you never know when that day will come."

The fourth-seeded Hewitt had won his only two Slam finals, including the 2001 Open, and was trying to become the first man to win the Open without losing a set since Neale Fraser in 1960. Hewitt took a 16-match winning streak into the afternoon.

"Just fell one short," Hewitt said. "He didn't give me too many free points out there."

The Australian began the day with an 8-5 lifetime mark against Federer. But Federer had beaten him at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and right away showed he intended to do it again.

Federer won 24 of 29 points in a first set that lasted all of 18 minutes. Not since 1903 had there been a "bagel" - tennis talk for a 6-0 whipping - in the opening set.

"It was a perfect start," he said. "Tough for Lleyton, obviously, but for me, a great start."

Hewitt, 23, is considered the best returner among current players, but he rarely could pin Federer. Instead, Federer pitched a complete game - powerful forehands, precise backhands, penetrating serve.

As evidence: Federer topped Hewitt in winners (40-12), aces (11-1), and service breaks (7-1), and took the point on 31 of 35 trips to the net.

Federer became the first player to win consecutive Slam events since Andre Agassi took the 1999 U.S. Open and 2000 Australian Open. Agassi tried to stop Federer at Flushing Meadows without success, losing in five sets in a quarterfinal match that was suspended by rain.

Federer earned $1 million for the victory. The prestige of winning three majors was pretty pricey, too.

"It's an incredible effort, what he's done," Hewitt said. "I don't think people probably realize how hard it is."

Rod Laver was the last man to get the Grand Slam, back in 1969. For now, matching Wilander's mark was plenty for Federer.

"He's a little better than everyone else at everything right now," Wilander said after Federer was done. "Physically and mentally he has the advantage over the other players. At the moment, I don't see anyone who can beat him."