IT is little more than a year since the tennis world was rising to acclaim Roger Federer as one of the all-time greats.

Having finally claimed his maiden French Open title to become only the sixth man in history to complete a clean sweep of all four Grand Slams, Federer’s place at the top of the tennis tree seemed assured for many years to come.

If, as everyone agreed, the Swiss was one of the greatest players ever, surely he would continue to dominate the game for as long as his mind and body remained active?

His primacy was confirmed when he claimed his fourth Australian Open title at the start of this year, and stood in marked contrast to the struggles of the only player capable of matching him in terms of unalloyed brilliance.

At the start of the European outdoor season in April, Rafael Nadal cut a beaten down, bedraggled figure. Struggling to recover from the knee problems that had plagued him for the previous 12 months, the Spaniard had gone 11 months without winning a tournament and lost 12 of his previous 14 matches against players in the top ten of the world.

The ability which enabled him to beat Federer in a Wimbledon final often cited as the most memorable match of all time had deserted him. Critics were openly questioning whether he would ever win a meaningful tournament again.

Five months on, and those same critics are now hailing Nadal as Federer’s equal, if not his superior.

Far from being a busted flush, the 24-year-old now appears capable of matching anything and everything his rival and friend has achieved.

Nadal’s victories in Paris, London and New York mean that, despite his injury troubles, he is now ahead of where Federer was at the same stage of his career.

At the age of 24, Federer had won six Grand Slam titles. Nadal has already claimed nine, and proved himself on all surfaces and in all conditions. He has beaten Federer to the clean sweep of all four Grand Slams by three-and-a-half years.

Does this make him a better player than his rival at the top of the rankings?

No. He is a different player, with different strengths and, on occasion, different weaknesses.

But it does mean he has every chance of eclipsing Federer’s achievements if – and admittedly it is a big if – he can continue to ward off the effects of the tendonitis that is slowly ravaging both of his knees.

While their ability to win tournaments is commensurate, in many ways Nadal and Federer are polar opposites in terms of their approach on the court.

Federer is the master technician, with his flashing forehand matching his brilliant backhand to produce flowing winners off both flanks. He is the most stylish of sportsmen, light on his feet, nimble and possessing a coolness of temperament that enables him to remain unflappable at even the most intense of occasions.

Federer makes tennis look like an art; Nadal, with his fire and fury, transforms it into a battleground.

Physicality has always been one of his key weapons, enabling him to win stamina-sapping rallies and generating a power and momentum that blows lesser players away.

His game, particularly on grass, is more refined than many people give him credit for, but Nadal still trades on his reputation as a force of nature rather than a slave to technique.

No one hits the ball harder, with more spin and consistency than the Spaniard.

The world of tennis has been blessed to have both at the peak of their powers at the same time. Whenever one has threatened to falter, the other has stepped up to take their place.

At the moment, Nadal is firmly in the ascendancy, although it would be foolhardy to bet against Federer reclaiming his throne next year.

In the longer term, however, the Spaniard is good enough, and young enough, to eclipse his idol.

For the sake of everyone who loves the drama and intensity of truly great sport, let’s just hope his knees hold out.

SPEAKING of drama, who was thrilled by the return of the Champions League?

If you answered yes, you may be in a minority of one.

There was much to admire in Arsenal wiping the floor with Portuguese runners-up Braga on Wednesday, but then there was much to admire when the Gunners hammered Blackpool at home and nobody was pretending that was European football at its best.

All the usual suspects came through unscathed, except for Manchester United, who a reserve side and came unstuck against Rangers.

The Champions League is an over-hyped and largely uncompetitive competition that doesn’t get going until the knockout stage. Judging by the team he put out, even Sir Alex Ferguson thinks its early rounds are comparable to the Carling Cup.