NO SOONER had it finished than the 2008 final was feted as the greatest Wimbledon decider of all time.

Boris Becker, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg all agreed - this was the best.

At 288 minutes, this was the longest final in All England Club history.

From the first point to the last, this was an epic, finishing in almost pitch darkness - and marking the end of Roger Federer's imperious reign.

With rain delays, it took almost seven hours to complete. But when it was over, Rafael Nadal stood as a colossus. The worthy new champion.

Over five sets and innumerable momentum swings, the two great warriors of modern tennis shared a war that will be celebrated down the ages.

In the end, Nadal prevailed 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 to deny Federer a sixth successive Wimbledon title and inflict the Swiss maestro's first grasscourt defeat in 66 matches.

"It's impossible to explain what I felt in that moment," said Nadal, referring to when he collapsed on the baseline before clambering into his support box to celebrate with family and friends.

Having failed to take advantage of two match points in the fourth set, Nadal stared down defeat to notch his fifth grand slam victory and became the first man since Borg in 1980 to nail the French Open and Wimbledon double.

Federer lost more sets yesterday than he had in the past two years at the home of tennis. He absorbed defeat with dignified resignation, but he was burning inside.

"It is probably my hardest loss by far, there is not much harder than this right now," he said after narrowly failing to become the first man since William Renshaw in 1886 to claim six consecutive Wimbledon championships.

"It is always nice to be part of great matches. Later on in life I will look back on it as a great match, but right now there is not much of a feel-good factor or anything positive about it."

"Look, Rafa's a deserving champion. He just played fantastically."

This match merits reverence alongside Borg's celebrated five-set victory against John McEnroe in 1980.

It featured the contrasting style of disparate individuals. It was brutal, beautiful and dramatic.

Nadal's bravery was telling. He saved 12 of 13 break points and he broke serve four times.

"He was rock-solid, the way we know him," Federer, who hit 25 aces, said. "He's definitely improved his game."

Nadal is the first Spaniard since Manolo Santana in 1966 to win the Wimbledon men's title.

Borg and Santana watched from the front row of the Royal Box as tigerish Federer tried everything to conjure victory.

Both men nodded approvingly as Nadal and Federer savaged each other.

In the end, Nadal struck 60 winners to Federer's 89, but the critical number was unforced errors -- the Spaniard restricted his to 27. The Swiss made 52.

In a contest where Nadal won 209 points to Federer's 204, that figure is the only one that matters.

Emotions play tricks, even on gladiators such as Nadal. The Mallorcan had the chance to serve out the match at 5-2 in the fourth-set tiebreak.

He choked. "I played terrible there," said Nadal, who double-faulted and opened the door for Federer.

Down 6-5, Federer erased a match point with a 215kmh service winner. Facing defeat again at 7-8, Federer hit a backhand passing winner.

A forehand winner put Federer ahead 9-8, and when Nadal missed a backhand return, the match was even. Federer jumped and bellowed.

No man since 1927 had come back to win a Wimbledon final after losing the first two sets, and none had overcome a match point to seize victory since 1948.

This was apparently Federer's time. Or so it seemed.

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

"That's what we both do to each other."

Finally, after six glorious Wimbledon campaigns, Federer frayed.

As one of the most gracious figures in international sport, Federer was displeased at having to play in the gloom. The match finished at 9.16pm as street lights burned.

"It's rough on me now, obviously, you know, to lose the biggest tournament in the world over maybe a bit of light," Federer said.

"I almost could not see who I was playing at the end, it was not funny.

"It would have been brutal for the fans, for the media and for us to come back tomorrow, but it is also tough on me to lose the biggest tournament in the world because of a loss of light."

Nadal agreed: "In the last game, I didn't see nothing.

"I am very happy for me, but sorry for him, because he deserved this title, too."

Nadal has won the past four French Open finals, with three of those victories coming against Federer.

He had been on the wrong end of the 2006-7 finals here against Federer.

This was his time in a stadium where rain would have its say for the last time.

Centre court will be covered by a retractable roof next year.

And for the first time in half a decade, the defending champion's name is not Federer.

These are monumental times.