Now say, who’s the boss?

LONDON: Roger Federer on Sunday wrapped up his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, finally subduing Spain's Rafael Nadal 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.

It looked as though the world number one would run away with an eighth grand slam title after rampaging through the first set in 24 minutes before double French Open champion Nadal recovered to make the Swiss maestro sweat on a breezy Centre Court.

Federer dropped a set for the first time at this year's tournament as the 20-year-old Nadal refused to surrender, but in the end he had enough grasscourt craft to become only the third man to win four straight titles here in the professional era.

"It's fantastic, I never thought it was possible but I made it," Federer, clad in his cream blazer, said in his acceptance speech after an enthralling two hour 50 minute contest. "It was awfully tight and I was getting awfully nervous in the end."

Federer had been on the receiving end against Nadal four times already this year, and he came out mean, moody and looking for revenge after his French Open final defeat last month.

His opening set demolition was the first 6-0 first set in a Wimbledon men's final since Boris Becker achieved the feat against Stefan Edberg in 1989.

Nadal had won 80 consecutive service games at Wimbledon enroute to the final, but that sequence ended when Federer crunched a forehand to break serve at the first time of asking.

For once Nadal, the first Spanish finalist for 40 years, looked overawed as he struggled for rhythm and Federer broke again to lead 4-0.

Nadal saved a set point with a brilliant lob volley at 0-5 and another with his first ace, but Federer made sure at the third attempt with an exquisite backhand pass.

Thoughts of a Centre Court humiliation for Nadal, the youngest men's finalist since Becker in 1986, soon disappeared though as he finally exploded into life.

A pummelled backhand winner gave him a break point at the start of the second set and Federer then miss-hit a forehand wide, prompting a trademark bicep-bulging fist pump and roar of "Vamos" from Nadal.

Federer responded by carving out a break point in the fourth game, only to send a backhand over the baseline. Nadal consolidated his two-game lead with an ace.

Nadal, who lost the first set of the French Open final 6-1, began to dominate the rallies from the baseline and it was Federer's turn to look anxious as Nadal moved 5-3 ahead.

Serving for the set at 5-4, however, Nadal served a double fault at 15-30 and then looped a forehand out to gift Federer a way back into the set.

An angry Nadal regained his composure to take the set into a tiebreak, in which he got the first mini-break.

Three forehand errors from Nadal gave the momentum back to Federer as the Swiss won five points in a row to move 6-3 ahead.

The second seed clawed it back to 6-5 but Federer roared with relief when a Nadal forehand nestled in the net.

Federer served his first double-fault of the match to give Nadal a sniff of a service break at 2-3 in the third set, but salvaged the situation with a well-placed delivery.

Games went with serve as the match drifted into its second tiebreak which Nadal dominated.

From 2-2 he cranked up the pressure with some fierce hitting, winning five points in a row and sealing the set when Federer made a hash of a forehand.

Federer immediately went off court for a toilet break, and no doubt to gather his thoughts.

The decisive moment came with Nadal facing a break point at 1-2 as the Spaniard leapt to hit a smash but sent it sailing over the baseline.

Finally Federer had some daylight and it became clear blue sky as he broke again for 5-1.

Even then, Nadal hit back to break the Swiss when he first served for the match. Federer made no mistake at 5-3, closing out the match to love when he forced Nadal into an error.

Federer's path to the Wimbledon title:
1st round: bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
2nd round: bt Tim Henman (GBR) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
3rd round: bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
4th round: bt Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
QF: bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
SF: bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.
Final: bt Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (2/7), 6-3.

Federer and Nadal head-to-heads: Nadal leads 6-2.

2006 Wimbledon (grass) Federer 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (2/7), 6-3.
2006 French Open (clay) Nadal 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
2006 Rome Masters (clay) Nadal 6-7 (0/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5).
2006 Monte Carlo (clay) Nadal 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
2006 Dubai Open (hard) Nadal 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
2005 French Open (clay) Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
2005 Miami Open (hard) Federer 2-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-1.
2004 Miami Open (hard) Nadal 6-3, 6-3.

Wimbledon men's singles champions since 1922

2006 Roger Federer (Switzerland)  
2005 Federer 
2004 Federer 
2003 Federer 
2002 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 
2001 Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) 
2000 Pete Sampras (US)
1999 Sampras 
1998 Sampras 
1997 Sampras 
1996 Richard Krajicek (Netherlands) 
1995 Sampras 
1994 Sampras 
1993 Sampras 
1992 Andre Agassi (US)
1991 Michael Stich (Germany) 
1990 Stefan Edberg (Sweden) 
1989 Boris Becker (Germany) 
1988 Edberg 
1987 Pat Cash (Australia) 
1986 Becker 
1985 Becker 
1984 John McEnroe (US)
1983 McEnroe 
1982 Jimmy Connors (US)
1981 McEnroe 
1980 Bjorn Borg (Sweden) 
1979 Borg 
1978 Borg 
1977 Borg 
1976 Borg 
1975 Arthur Ashe (US)
1974 Connors   
1973 Jan Kodes (Czechoslovakia) 
1972 Stan Smith (US)
1971 John Newcombe (Australia) 
1970 Newcombe 
1969 Rod Laver (Australia)
1968 Laver 
1967 Newcombe 
1966 Manuel Santana (Spain)
1965 Roy Emerson (Australia) 
1964 Emerson 
1963 Chuck McKinley (US)
1962 Laver 
1961 Laver 
1960 Neale Fraser (Australia) 
1959 Alex Olmedo (US)
1958 Ashley Cooper (Australia) 
1957 Lew Hoad (Australia) 
1956 Hoad 
1955 Tony Trabert (US)
1954 Jaroslav Drobny (Czechoslovakia) 
1953 Vic Seixas (US)
1952 Frank Sedgman (Australia) 
1951 Dick Savitt (US)
1950 Budge Patty (US)
1949 Ted Schroeder (US)
1948 Bob Falkenburg (US)
1947 Jack Kramer (US)
1946 Yvon Petra (France) 
1945-40 No tournament held 
1939 Bobby Riggs (US)
1938 Donald Budge (US)
1937 Budge 
1936 Fred Perry (Britain) 
1935 Perry 
1934 Perry 
1933 Jack Crawford (Australia) 
1932 Ellsworth Vines (US)
1931 Sidney B Wood (US)
1930 William Tilden (US)
1929 Henri Cochet (France) 
1928 Rene Lacoste (France) 
1927 Cochet 
1926 Jean Borotra (France) 
1925 Lacoste 
1924 Borotra 
1923 William Johnston (US)
1922 Gerald Pattersen (Australia)   

Note: From 1877 to 1921 the men's singles was decided on a challenge-round system with the previous year's winner automatically qualifying for the final.