There will now be a big rush to hail Rafael Nadal, the conquering hero, as the new King of Tennis after his defeat of Roger Federer in the Wimbledon men’s final and, before that, the betting on the French Open begins. Tennis betting enthusiasts know that Federer remains number one in the rankings but Nadal, winner of these two diverse tournaments must be now be regarded as the best player in the world.

The Wimbledon final was an epic battle with some saying it was the greatest tennis match ever played. Federer, two sets to one down, having recovered his brilliance in the third, and serving at 0-30 while 4-5 down in the fourth set, seemed defeated, if not in spirit then at least in numbers. But Federer has not been described as the best player who ever lived for nothing. He fought back from the abyss and took the set to a tie break which he won.

The fifth set became an epic battle which drew from the great men some passing shots which defied the laws of the physics and dazzled the imagination. Tooth and nail were fought for sixteen games until Nadal won by a relentless whisker. This irresistible force had moved the immovable object. But Federer down and out? Online betting fans should not count on it. He auto-piloted the first two sets in an uncharacteristic trance of bewilderment at Nadal’s accuracy and grass court learning. He won’t do that again. Next year Federer will be ready and looking for revenge and Nadal will have to dig much, much deeper than he had to this time.