Rafael Nadal hit 13 winners and committed 17 unforced errors in Sunday afternoon’s championship match of the BNP Paribas Open.

Under normal circmstances, such a performance would have led to a decisive loss. But this was no ordinary day in the California desert, and Nadal, of course, is no ordinary player.

In the face of strong winds that varied from 15 to 30 miles per hour, Nadal was nothing short of magnificent in fighting through daunting conditions. Scotland’s Andy Murray was the unlucky student in this master class, as Nadal’s consistent precision carried the No. 1 player in the world to his second Indian Wells title with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in 80 efficient minutes. Murray had another fine tournament marked by yet another triumph over Roger Federer, but Nadal once again reminded the Scot who rules the roost in men’s tennis.

Two years ago, Nadal broke through to win his first championship at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which was–at that time–the biggest hardcourt trophy of the Mallorcan’s career. But with Federer owning the hardcourt slams in 2007, it seemed unlikely that Nadal would conquer the concrete surface anytime soon. Now that he’s bagged yet another title at this prestigious event, Rafa–fresh off his first hardcourt slam title in Australia–has only cemented his status as an elite player on surfaces other than clay. Nadal is a prohibitive favorite at every important tournament he enters, and this throttling of the fourth-seeded Murray showed why.

Murray, it should be said, hit only 22 unforced errors in this match. The word “only” is used because of the strong winds that wreaked havoc with both men’s groundstrokes. While it’s true that the desert gusts were even worse in the women’s title match that immediately preceded this showdown, the mortal enemy of all tennis players was still significant enough to toy with the forward motion of almost every shot. Nadal and Murray, all things considered, did extremely well to combine for fewer than 40 errors. Nadal, though, raised his “bad weather game” to an art form.

Sometimes driving his backhand through the wind for a screaming winner, and other times hitting a teasingly gentle slice that bent from the middle of the court to Murray’s forehand corner, Nadal manipulated the ball with remarkable skill, putting the Scot on the defensive and establishing a winning position on most points. Impregnable from the back and supremely artful at the net, Nadal imposed himself on Murray in all facets of play. Even though the No. 4 seed competed vigorously and fought to the bitter end, the best player on the planet always had a superior answer, particularly on the many 30-all and deuce points that characterized most of the games in the match. The quality of the rallies produced by the two men were worthy of a close 6-4, 6-4 match, but Nadal’s otherworldly composure in the midst of nasty winds allowed the Spaniard to breeze home with another title.

The ATP Tour now heads to Miami for yet another 96-player, week-and-a-half event. Murray might make his presence felt, and a fellow named Federer could bounce back, but there’s only one man who will be favored to win in South Florida, and that man’s name is Rafael Nadal.