Roger Federer did not actually erect a sign on Centre Court which said 'Keep off the grass'.

But he did the next best thing as he beat Rafael Nadal, the king of clay, 6-0 7-6 6-7 6-3, to take his fourth consecutive Wimbledon singles crown.

True, there were moments when Nadal served notice that Federer might well have serious opposition in future years in SW19 as he attempts to emulate Bjorn Borg's five successive wins and the seven in all of Pete Sampras. And tennis needs their rivalry.

But, after an intriguing final, Federer remains the undisputed king.

Just one set lost, only four service games conceded, just five double faults in the entire tournament. And now 48 consecutive victories on grass.

Tennis does not get much more perfect.

"Jeez, what a match," was Federer's verdict. "It was awfully tight and I was getting awfully nervous too. To win four is out of this world."

His reaction told just how crucial was the victory.

Nadal had won six of their seven previous matches, including four finals already this year.

The Spaniard, with his domination at Roland Garros, had prevented Federer from completing one of his great ambitions, winning all four Grand Slams.

A psychological noose was tightening.

Not that you would have known it in a first set which must have been little more than a blur in Nadal's mind.

With 15 minutes on the clock Nadal had lost two service games, as many as he had done in the rest of the Championship.

Federer mixed it up, threw in finely sliced backhands as well as ripping top-spins.

Shots such as the running forehand down the line to clinch the first break of serve and the angled backhand cross-court winner to polish off the set were perhaps only possible on the planet of the champion.

And Federer later admitted: "That first set might have helped me out in the end. I thought it was high-class tennis and I really enjoyed it."

Nadal is not a man to accept a love set humiliation meekly. Not for him the attitude of semi-finalist Jonas Bjorkman, who admitted to marvelling at the perfection of Federer from "the best seat in the house".

Nadal is a slugger, the Mike Tyson to Federer's Muhammad Ali. And he bounced out for the second like a tennis streetfighter with one thing on his mind. "Win one game."

He promptly did so, a two-fisted backhand down the line from four feet behind the baseline breaking the Federer serve.

Suddenly Nadal was pushing Federer back from the baseline, the Spaniard's huge groundstrokes disturbing the Federer rhythm.

Nadal should have won the set and would have done if, when serving for the set at 5-4, he had not begun to think of the scoreline.

He threw in a double fault and a wild forehand and the set was into a tie-break.

At 3-1 up Nadal was in the groove but five points in a row from Federer, cool under pressure, saw the second set tied up.

By contrast, the third-set tie-break could not have been more emphatic in Nadal's favour, a string of blistering winners, again five in a row, clinching the set.

The Spanish fists were pumping, the biceps flexing and the roar which accompanied Nadal's return to the chair told of a man rapidly winning the respect and the hearts of the tennis public.

The roar, however, only reawakened the champion who stepped up his game once more, although he was assisted by an atrocious smash from Nadal to break serve in the fourth game.

Once ahead Federer, now with eight Grand Slams, was out of sight, chasing Borg and Sampras and his place in history.

Federer said: "They were heroes of the game. This is the most important tournament. I'll come back and try for the fifth.

"It's fantastic. I never thought it possible. It's an incredible feeling.

"It has been a great tournament for Rafa. I didn't think he was going to play the finals. It's a fantastic effort coming so far."

Meanwhile, Nadal admitted he has the taste for Wimbledon.

He said: "This year I played my best tennis here. I hope I can come back here and win and don't play against a player like Roger. He played unbelievable, but I improved a lot this year.

"In the first set it was tough for me. He plays different from the other guys and I wasn't seeing the strategy well. It was tough to play at his level.

"But I enjoyed the match. And it was important for my future belief to win here."

For now, however, Federer, stylish jacket and all, remains untouchable.