Where now, Roger?

And they say lightning doesn't strike twice.

Seven months after Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer combined to produce arguably the greatest men's final in Wimbledon history, the same two players served up arguably the greatest men's final in Australian Open history early today.

As at Wimbledon last July, Nadal ultimately triumphed after five enthralling sets of a match which swung first one way and then the other. Federer, nervy at first, produced some of his very best tennis in winning the second and fourth sets. Nadal, drawing on reserves maybe even he didn't know he possessed after a draining five-hour semi-final against Fernando Verdasco, took everything the Swiss threw at him and kept coming back stronger. Punch and counter-punch; break points which were hard fought for and then repelled as much by force of will as strength of shot. It was not until the final set when Federer visibly began to tire that we could begin to say with any kind of confidence who the likely winner was.

Where now for Federer who, utterly distraight, was in tears after the match? At 27, he is five years older than Nadal, who still, frighteningly, may still be a year or two short of his ultimate potential. He has lost his number one ranking to the Spaniard; his aura of invincibility at Wimbledon has been shattered; he remains one Grand Slam singles title short of Pete Sampras's total of 14, a record which would quantify his claim to be regarded as the finest tennis player ever. If he is to match or beat Sampras's mark, you can't help but feel it needs to be this year or never. To win the French Open in June is unlikely, as Nadal reigns supreme on clay. Wimbledon is, of course, a more likely hunting ground for him; better still, the US Open is the one title he still holds, and the only one Nadal has not yet won.

Much though I admire Rafael Nadal and see him as the dominant force in tennis for potentially years to come, in my heart I desperately want Federer to win at least one more Slam. He is possibly the last of the great artists - Andy Murray has (as yet unfulfilled) potential to succeed him - in a sport increasingly dominated by power and fitness. And, like Nadal, he manages to be both a fearsome competitor and yet a gracious gentleman in defeat; having lost five of seven Grand Slam final meetings with Nadal, he is becoming increasingly accustomed to the latter.

Tennis has benefitted enormously by having the careers of these two great players overlap so considerably; it is a rival as fierce and contrasting as Borg-McEnroe, but one which has sustained greater longevity. When it finally ends, the sport will be greatly impoverished by its loss.

I'll root for both Nadal and Federer, but for now at least I want Federer to win just that little bit more. The only thing is, such is the psychological hold Nadal appears to have over him, I just can't see where number 14 is going to come from.