`Roger Federer still the best and still No 1,' says Nadal
7 Jul 2008, 1650 Hrs

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London, July 7 (ANI): Wimbledon's 2008 champion Rafael Nadal still feels that Swiss Roger Federer is still the best tennis player in the world and still world number one.

Speaking the media on the sidelines of the traditional and annual Wimbledon Ball held in honour of all champions of this year's tournament, Nadal said: "I am so happy to win. This is my favourite tournament and it is a dream to play here. I never imagined that I would win it. But Roger is still the best and still No 1. He has been champion five times and I only have one title."

Nadal has become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

The Spaniard ended the reign of five-time men's singles champion Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 late on Sunday.

Their rain-interrupted epic lasted nearly five hours and Nadal revealed he could not see a thing in the final game.

The Sun quoted Nadal, 22, as saying: "It was unbelievable. I thought we would have to stop and, if I'd lost that game, we'd have had to stop for sure. At 8-7, when I was ready to serve, I thought 'I can't believe it. I can't see a thing'."

Federer's dream of a sixth successive title and a place in the history books was shattered by Nadal, who ended the top seed's 65-match winning streak on grass in a classic.

The world No 1 admitted he was as concerned as Nadal about the fading light as the clock ticked past 9.15 p.m.

Federer revealed: "I just kept on playing. I didn't argue. I think I guess I would have said something if I had broken back to go eight-all. It wasn't possible to play any more. It would have been brutal for the fans, for the media, for us, for everybody to come back tomorrow. But what are you going to do? It's rough on me now to lose the biggest tournament in the world over maybe a bit of light. It's my hardest loss, by far. It does not get much harder than this right now." (ANI)