Men's Singles Final:After three hours and 45 minutes, as Roger Federer fell to his knees on Centre Court, a sense of deflation that this final had drawn to a close was stirring among the crowd. Fittingly, a put-away smash at the net was what finally Federer's legendary status is secure at the age of 25. But the crowd wanted more.

"It was a huge occasion for me, huge pressure," said Federer.

"Bjorn Borg sitting there, Jimmy Connors sitting there, John McEnroe sitting there, Boris Becker sitting there. It was a big moment for me. Yeah, it's a special moment. I'll have it for all of my life."

It was a final that lacked none of the vital ingredients. In Federer and Raphael Nadal, it had the two best players in the world. It had soaring ability. It had sustained tension throughout five sets. It had swings of fortune. It had history unfolding and in the end it rewarded the player who has brought more to the game over the last five years than anyone.

For that the fans fell in with Federer. Sympathetic to his proprietorial take on these championships, they not only witnessed a Wimbledon final but also an important part of the narrative in the life journal of the sport.

Federer has now won 34 matches in succession at Wimbledon and owns an unbeaten run on grass that stretches to 54.

In those 34 Wimbledon wins, he has conceded just eight sets and only yesterday, in what was his record ninth consecutive Grand Slam final, was he ever forced by an opponent to play a five-set match

For Nadal, this 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-2 defeat will hurt more than last year. The quality of play from the young Spaniard, who had a miserably fractured two weeks of rain and delays, made him an equal partner in an epic contest that pivoted on morsels of luck and skill until the sixth game of the fifth set, when Federer imperceptibly raised his level of play to break Nadal's serve.

Prior to that Nadal had seen some light at the beginning of the set but Federer managed to close the door. Twice the younger player had a 15-40 advantage on his opponent's serve and twice failed to turn it to his good.

In a match that was playing so tightly, those were enormous advantages to leave with Federer and in the end hugely damaging.

"It was tough for me because I had two 15-40s in the fifth. One was a big chance to have the break," said Nadal.

"I knew if I got a break in the fifth, I'd have a very good chance to have the title. He saved the points with the serve. Maybe if we had to find a difference, it's the serve. He served better than me."

Nadal added that regardless of how many Grand Slam titles fall Federer's way, the quality of his tennis was better than any other player in the history of the game.

"The best player in history has 14 (Grand Slam titles). He has 11," said Nadal. "If he goes on to win 14 or 16 or 13, my opinion is that the tennis level is the best in history."

Wounding Nadal with the service break so late in the match and at such a critical time appeared to galvanise the champion and in his next game hurled three aces at Nadal for 40-love and 5-2.

Over the course of just a few minutes the 21-year-old's unbreakable semblance, that tone and aspect of him that discharges energy and fight, partially dissipated.

He could see then that after three and a half hours of sparring, not only had he created opportunities and let them slip away but now he had put the fifth title in Federer's hand and the champion could either drop it or squeeze.

To that point, neither player had been in such a strong position to win the match.

A tiebreak had decided the first set in Federer's favour with the second falling to Nadal after one service break. A tiebreak was needed in the third, Federer again taking it while Nadal broke serve twice in the fourth set for 6-2 and to level the mach.

But not content with breaking Nadal once in the fifth set, Federer sensed his opportunity again on his opponent's serve and Nadal blinked.

For the winner, Federer worked the Spaniard to the backcourt and all he could do was throw the ball high into the air in a desperate attempt to keep the point alive. When Federer saw it soaring he flashed up to the net for the simplest of winners. "I concentrated really hard on my serve, so I didn't get under pressure there," said Federer. "I was almost crying when I was 5-2 up.

"And then the game starts with Love-15. I'm like, oh my God this is not going too well."

Now the Sampras record is in his eyeline more clearly.

"Pete Sampras is maybe the greatest player we ever had," said Federer.

"It takes me five Wimbledons, three Australian Opens and three US Opens just to get close to him. I definitely feel mentally and physically fit to on for many years. I'd love to equal his record. Lets put it that way."

Boris Becker was one of the first to hail Federer's achievement, saying: "It's tennis history - no-one thought five Wimbledons would be equalled and we are witnessing history now.

All credit to Nadal, we never really thought he would be a contender for Wimbledon, but this year he was a point away from going up in the deciding set."

Men's Singles

Final: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-2.

Semi-finals: (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt (4) Novak Djokovic (Ser) 3-6 6-1 4-1 ret, (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (12) Richard Gasquet (Fra) 7-5 6-3 6-4.

Women's Singles

Final: (23) Venus Williams (USA) bt (18) Marion Bartoli (Fra) 6-4 6-1

Men's Doubles

Final: (10) Arnaud Clement (Fra) and Michael Llodra (Fra) bt (1) Bob Bryan (USA) and Mike Bryan (USA) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Women's Doubles

Final: (2) Cara Black (Zim) and Liezel Huber (Rsa) bt (4) Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) and Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) 3-6 6-3 6-2

Mixed Doubles

Semi-final: (5) Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) and Alicia Molik (Aus) bt Fabrice Santoro (Fra) and Severine Bremond (Fra) 6-3 3-6 6-3.

Final: Jamie Murray (Brit) and Jelena Jankovic (Ser) bt (5) Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) and Alicia Molik (Aus) 6-4 3-6 6-1.