He's a much-improved player now, with a more consistent serve, a brutish two-handed backhand that at times rivals his thuggish forehand in power, and a willingness to trust his hands at net.

The 2008 version of Rafael Nadal put to rest any thoughts that he's merely a souped-up likeness of three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten. In good health, it appears he could go down as one of the greatest players ever.

Nadal nearly lost the match on three different occasions. Or more appropriately, the driven Federer nearly stole it from him in his attempt to become the first man in the Open Era to win six Wimbledons in succession.

Nadal nearly lost control of the match in the fourth set tiebreaker, when he held two match points. Just before that, leading 5-4 in the fourth set, he couldn't capitalize on a 0-30 lead on the Swiss' serve. A set prior in the third, Nadal held three break points at 3-3, but lost his way.

Nadal breezed to a two-set lead, clearly looking ready to take the Wimbledon crown away from his nemesis.

Then came the third set, where Federer began to get more comfortable dancing to his left and unleashing his ferocious forehand everywhere: down the middle and close to the baseline, crosscourt, inside out and down the line. His bombs down the tee found the mark, his slice serve out wide to the deuce court and flat one out wide to the ad court bit viciously.

Nadal bent a bit, but he wouldn't break.

After Nadal fought off four break points to get to 3-3, Federer hung his head and started his service game sloppy, going down 0-40. The match certainly could have been lost there, but the Spaniard got a little tight and Federer, who had gallantly ruled the lawns since 2003, sensed that his rival was a bit nervous.

Two errors by Nadal and a service winner by Federer and the Swiss held, bellowing out a full-throated "C'mon!" Federer was surely back in the match and in the tiebreaker, he smoked four aces, including one out wide on set point to take it 7-5.

The fourth set tiebreaker brought back memories of the John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg fourth-set sudden death in the 1980 Wimbledon final, the most famous tiebreaker of all time, which McEnroe won in spectacular fashion 18-16.

This one between Nadal and Federer wasn't as long, but featured numerous thrilling points. It looked once again like Nadal was going to seize his first Wimbledon title. But up 5-2 with two serves on his racket, he stuttered badly, double faulting and pushing a backhand into the net to 5-4.

"I played terrible two points," Nadal said.

But then Nadal fought off a set point when Federer erred on a forehand. The Swiss then missed a forehand long. On Nadal's first match point, Federer went to his money serve and came up with a service winner.

Yet Nadal responded brilliantly. On the full stretch, he came up with a phenomenal forehand passing shot down the line.

Federer had an answer and in one of the most clutch shots of his career — match point down 8-7 — Nadal hooked a forehand to his backhand, decided to charge the net and the Swiss ripped a backhand pass down the line to 8-8. He then nailed a forehand winner and watched Nadal miss a backhand to secure the tiebreaker 10-8 and evened it at two sets all.

"He was really nervous," Federer said. "He didn't make the returns he usually does. He couldn't play aggressive. I played some OK shots, and it was enough to come back.

"I really thought that he was feeling it really a lot, maybe the first time in his life. So I was hoping, with the momentum going into the fifth set, that it was going to be enough just from my end that I would play a little bit better. But I couldn't really play maybe my best when I really had to. But Rafa served well and played well and deserved to win in the end."

Nadal could have let down then, but didn't, and was possibly saved by a 20-minute rain break at 2-2. In the locker room, his uncle and coach Toni told him, "Concentrate and use your head."

Back on court, he had more jump in his step and zip on his returns. At 3-4, Federer held his sole break point and the Spaniard ripped a forehand down the line and then crunched an overhead and eventually held to 4-4.

With epic win, Nadal makes case as top player Matt Cronin / Special to FOXSports.com 186 days ago   WIMBLEDON, England - Rafael Nadal's first Grand Slam title off clay was never going to be easy, but this was ridiculous. Who knew the Spaniard would have to come through arguably the greatest men's final ever in his phenomenal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 victory over five-time defending champion Roger Federer at Wimbledon? Rafael Nadal made good on his third crack at the Wimbledon title. (Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press) Maybe the only one who knew was the 22-year-old Spaniard, who defined heroic in an epic 4-hour, 48-minute contest in which Federer proved equally deserving of the title. "Probably my hardest loss, by far," a despondent Federer said later. Had he lost the match — where he was in control in every set — Nadal may have never mentally recovered from the defeat. As hard as he's worked to become a better fast-court player, winning major championships over legends such as Federer on quick courts are all about seizing the few chances you have earned. It took Nadal until dusk fell to do so. After watching Federer come up with three rip-roaring winners on his first three match points, Nadal finally saw a better sight — the 12-time Grand Slam winner nudged an easy forehand into the net in a match where winners ruled the day. Nadal then slid on to the few blades of grass that were left in the middle of the baseline, rolled around in the dirt, ran up to hug his family and friends and then scooted over the Royal Box to shake hands with Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain, the first player to make the approach to royalty in history. "It's a special feeling," Nadal said with a wide smile. Since 2005, four-time French Open champion Nadal has been striving diligently to grab his first major off clay, but he was stymied time and time again, including in the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals against Federer. The Championships, Wimbledon Wimbledon Central Results: Day 13: Nadal stuns Federer in thriller Day 12: Women's F | | | | Day 6: Women | | | Women | | | | | | Analysis: Cronin: Nadal makes case for No. 1 Pierce: Federer shows his mettle Cronin: Venus, Serena at their best Others: Draws: Men's singles | Women's singles PHOTOS: Men's final | Women's final | Men's SF | Women's SF | Men's QF Results: Men Women | Ranks | Schedule Partners: Tennis Week: Analysis, video and more Richard's Court: Inside the tennis world Wimbledon.org: Home of Wimbledon

Roger Federer had 13 break chances but could only convert one. (Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press)

Nadal held two break points at 5-5, but Federer gunned an ace and a heavy forehand.

Then at 7-7, Nadal swam straight through the tide and turned it. After Federer fought off three break points, he rushed a forehand approach shot long.

"Rafa keeps you thinking, and that's what the best players do to each other in the end," Federer said.

At 8-7, Nadal dispensed with his nerves. Federer fought off another match point with a seeing eye crosscourt backhand return of serve winner, but then Nadal seared a service winner and Federer finally cracked with a forehand error, his 65-match winning streak on grass stopped cold by a red-hot Spaniard.

"When I lost the fourth set I was sitting down, and just saying, 'Well, I am playing well, I am doing well, I am with very good positive attitude, so gonna continue like this," said Nadal, who became the first man since the great Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back.

"I felt confident with myself, so for that reason I was confident in the fifth," Nadal said.

No. 2 Nadal is now within shouting distance of Federer in the rankings, around 600 points behind the Swiss and entering a part of the season where he doesn't have nearly as many points to defend. From today through the U.S. Open, Federer has some 1,850 to defend to only 380 from Nadal. The sport could soon have its first new No. 1 since February 2004.

Whether Nadal can hold up during the summer hard-court stretch is questionable, as it's the time of year after a brutal clay- and grass-court stretch where he usually gets injured and falters. But there's no doubt he's been the best player of 2008 and now, whenever he faces Federer he'll be the definitive favorite until the Swiss proves that he's figured out a way to beat his nemesis.

That's pretty heady stuff for a kid from Mallorca who didn't see a grass court until he got off his cozy island.

"It's unbelievable for me have a title here in Wimbledon," said Nadal, who became the first Spaniard since Manolo Santana in 1966 to win Wimbledon. "I always, when I was a kid, I dream for play here, but to win is amazing."

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