RAFA NADAL is the tennis phenomenon who just keeps on giving. We were told he had a dodgy knee, how he wasn’t feeling totally tip-top.

Well, anyone who witnessed this magical win over Roger Federer might like to start think strongly otherwise.

The way Roger Federer began the match, it looked for all the world that the Spanish superstar would be starting his planned February hibernation early.

Nadal wants to rest his shoulder. He will have to wait a bit now though.

Fed was on fire from the start. Rolling back the years with sublime touches and glorious hits from all over the court.

At that point there only looked like being one winner.

The fire still burns deep in the Swiss legend. Not being able to add to his incredible 16 Grand Slams hurts big time.

But with every crushing defeat like this, it seems even harder for the 30 year-old to hit back.

The stats make sorry reading for him right now.

This is the fifth success time Nadal has beaten Federer at a Slam.

You have to go way back to the 2007 Wimbledon final to find the last time he tasted success over the man from Mallorca in a major.

His overall Grand Slam record against his old rival now reads 2-8.

In a rip roaring opening, Federer elegantly raced into a 4-1 lead before Nadal started a fight back to somehow take it to a tie-break.

The Swiss held on to win it 7-5 but it was 56 minutes of breathless action which set the scene for what followed.

Suddenly Nadal took control, winning four games on the spin to land the second 6-2.

The end of the third was quite remarkable. Fed managed to force a tie-break and then almost turned it around from being 6-1 down, saving four set points before Nadal bagged it 7-5.

Federer’s forehand had started to go and he must have been looking at the other end of the court in sheer disbelief as Nadal just kept on going.

It’s hard enough to contemplate beating Novak Djokovic which he will try to do from around 8.30am UK time tomorrow.