BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Lewis Hamilton can use his stunning victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone as the launchpad for a successful challenge for the world title, says Sir Jackie Stewart.

The Formula One legend watched the McLaren star return the drive of his life to claim a race made treacherous by torrential rain. Stewart said: "What we saw was a masterful drive. He really behaved himself beautifully. The outstanding talent this young man has was fully demonstrated, because you couldn't get conditions any more difficult than that. What more could you ask from a driver than what Lewis did at Silverstone?

"It's perfectly feasible now for Lewis to win the world championship. His McLaren team have got the resources to do it, they've got the technology to do it, and they've got the driver to do it.

"Now they've got to keep giving Lewis a reliable car, and he's got to keep finishing in the points."

Hamilton's third win of the season takes the Briton into a share of the championship lead with reigning title holder Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, the two Ferrari drivers who were among many to spin on a track that was sometimes awash with water.

Stewart, the three-times world champion who won two British Grands Prix, insisted: "This was one of the best Silverstone wins I've seen because of the conditions which were constantly changing.

"Just one little slip could have taken Lewis off the track, as it did for so many other drivers. So for him to keep it all together made it a top-class win."

WIMBLEDON FINAL
Rafael Nadal was today hailed as the sport's new king and his epic Wimbledon dethroning of Roger Federer labelled as the greatest ever match.

Australian Rod Laver, one of the top players to have played the game, and Boris Becker - the youngest men's singles champion - both claimed the Spaniard was now the best in the business.

Watching from his California home, 69-year-old Laver saw Nadal win the longest-ever final 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in 4hrs 48min and said: "It was the best match I've ever seen. I was watching it and thinking 'How do you win a point?' Until today, Roger was the best player in the world. Now Nadal is. To not be on clay, his surface, and do that. I'm just amazed," said the four-time Wimbledon champ.

"It was an unbelievable performance. My hat is off to Rafael because of how he pulled this off. His fitness is quite amazing. He looks like he could play for a day-and-a-half.

"It was just amazing some of the shots they were making. They were hitting winners off winners and you think once in a while it could happen, but it happened all the way through. It was so competitive and such wonderful tennis you have to figure it's just going to do wonders for the game."

Federer may be the official world No1, but Boris Becker insisted this was "a changing of the guard" in world tennis.

He added: "The ranking computer didn't get it yet, but in my opinion, whoever wins the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year is the No1. It's only a matter of time before that computer catches up."

Nadal boarded a plane to Stuttgart this morning to defend his clay court title at the Mercedes Cup. The Spanish maestro, who has now beaten Federer in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon championships this year, is refusing to take a break from the sport he now dominates. Nadal became only the second Spanish champion at Wimbledon after Manolo Santana in 1966, who was in the Royal Box to see the left-hander's triumph.

Nadal is the first player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since Bjorn Borg in 1980 and stands apart from everyone else because he also won the Artois tournament at Queen's.

Federer believes he was denied a record-equalling sixth Wimbledon men's singles title by the decision to keep playing in near darkness with the match finishing at 9.16pm.

Federer, whose 65-match unbeaten streak on grass is now ended, said: "I didn't argue about the light and if I had broken back to go eight-all then it wouldn't have been possible to play anymore."

Nadal revealed that he couldn't see properly at the start of that last game.

He said: "I didn't see anything. I thought we would have to stop. But it is unbelievable for me have a title here. When I was a kid, I dreamed of playing here, but to win is amazing."