© EPA / G Penny

The Swiss top seed’s flawless display of tennis against the Spaniard at times drew gasps of admiration from the Centre Court crowd and it looked like it could be a romp to victory when he swiped the first set in 25 minutes.

But that reckoned without the determined resistance of Nadal, who pushed the world number one from then on and took the third set on a tie-break to rob Federer of the chance of being the first man in 30 years to lift the men's singles crown without losing a single set throughout the Wimbledon fortnight.

Perhaps the grey day of gusting wind offered conditions which were too cool for the Spaniard, but he was certainly slow out of the starting blocks against an opponent who was straining to turn the tide of defeats he had suffered this year against Nadal.

A stunning running forehand, one of the finest weapons in the Federer armoury, won him a break and a 2-0 lead, and things rapidly got better for the Swiss and dramatically worse for the Spaniard. A forehand hooked high out of court cost him a second service break, Federer held to love to lead 5-0 and then took the set by breaking the Nadal delivery for a third time with the shot of the set, a skimming backhand which flashed across Nadal marooned in mid-court.

Nadal's many supporters in the Centre Court crowd were reduced to anxious muttering, but their hero responded magnificently by breaking in the opening game of the second set. Now in his finest rampaging form, Nadal kept the champion at full stretch, denying him a chance to get back into the set by saving a break point at 2-1. That apart, Nadal was secure on delivery - until the time came for him to serve at 5-4 to level the match.

The Spaniard's first double-fault offered Federer a break point, which was promptly converted as Nadal drove a forehand over the baseline. When the tie-break arrived, Nadal still looked the likelier to capture the set as he jumped into a 3-1 lead, only to commit a couple of forehand errors which offered Federer all the incentive he needed to get back into the tie-break.

He led by six points to three, and though Nadal fought off two set points, he netted a forehand on the third. Two sets to love to the champion.

Serving first, Nadal kept his nose in front in a tense third set, showing his anguish as Federer overcame a break point on his first double fault to cling on at 3-3 and push the match into its second tie-break.

This time the shoot-out was Nadal's all the way. He jumped into a 2-0 lead, was pulled back to 2-2 and then spectacularly swept the next five points to keep the match alive with two hours and 15 minutes gone. It was the first set Federer had dropped at The Championships since the third round last year.

Finally Nadal was doing what no other opponent had managed in recent memory at Wimbledon by intruding into Federer's comfort zone, hurrying him into mistakes. But were there ever going to be enough mistakes to swing the contest in his direction?

Clearly shaken, Federer took a toilet break to help him regroup. And, being such a fine champion, regroup he did, taking the battle to his brash young challenger. Federer broke for a 3-1 lead as Nadal wildly slammed a high volley yards out of court, then broke again for a 5-1 lead.

Serving out for the title seemed a formality, but Nadal does not acknowledge formalities. His ferocious counter-attack rattled Federer into three forehand errors and that rarity, a service game lost.

The match was not over, not quite. Nadal held with his eighth ace and now trailed 3-5, but hopes of one of his miracle moments were dashed. Federer was not about to allow the challenger to break him again. He moved smoothly to three championship points, and needed only one as a Nadal backhand drifted into the tramlines.

Federer shook hands and gently removed his headband. Job done.