Cricket the winner after Dhoni's tremendous gesture

Bell was left fuming after originally being given out

MS Dhoni's decision to withdraw his appeal for Ian Bell's dismissal in the second Test today was one of the best acts of sportsmanship in living memory.

Bell was "run out" in astonishing and unlikely circumstances on the last ball before tea on 137 after a sublime innings.

Batting partner Eoin Morgan's shot looked like it had gone for four, with Indian fielder Praveen Kumar seemingly conceding the boundary after fumbling the ball and then ambling to pick it up.

The batsmen ran three, and Bell, thinking it was four and therefore tea, strode up the wicket and towards his dressing room. However, the ball had not actually hit the boundary rope and so India's fielders removed the bails, with Bell well out of his crease and in the laws of the game out.

That led to some confusion and after several minutes of deliberating, the third umpire ruled Bell was out, with the batsman, his team-mates and fans aghast at the decision. It would have been a hugely unsatisfactory way to end a quite phenomenal innings.

Bell claimed the umpire had "called over" and fans booed India off the field, while England players looked at their Indian counterparts with disdain from the balcony.

England's players were clearly disappointed when Bell was given out

The umpires and Indian players then returned to the field after tea to a chorus of boos from the crowd, while England players appeared to be sarcastically applauding them from the dressing room. However, that applause later transpired to be heartfelt.

During the tea break, Dhoni and India withdrew their appeal after conversations with England and the umpires. They didn't have to withdraw it but the fact they did is a victory for cricket, the "gentleman's game".

Within the laws of the game, India would have been well within their rights to uphold their appeal but they ran the risk of staining their reputations had they allowed Bell to be dismissed.

Bell was clearly careless and clumsy not to wait for official confirmation the over was complete, but it was obviously an honest mistake and even the Indian fielders seemed to think it was a four.

One thing is for sure, he will never make a mistake like it again. This was a one-off and a situation which will surely never be replicated.

It would have been easy for Dhoni to accept the wicket because it would have helped his side enormously in the context of the game, but he recognised the significance of the situation. The spirit of the game was at risk and he saved it.

The incident would have been talked about for years but in one act of generosity, Dhoni defused the situation and ensured there was to be no bad blood between the sides.

Dhoni and his team come out of this with great credit

Circumstances certainly helped him, as the tea break allowed him to consult others, think about it and make the correct decision. Had it been at the end of an over halfway through the session, he would have had little time to clear his head.

Even so, most captains would still have upheld their appeal and so Dhoni and India will have gone up in most people's estimations by withdrawing it.

They have had a lot of criticism for their perceived lack of commitment to the series and their refusal to use the Decision Review System (DRS), but this was a tremendous act of sportsmanship to improve their popularity significantly.

This is a great series between two excellent sides and this flashpoint will only help it even further.

It will get people talking about it even more and increase the interest in the series, so this incident will not do any harm at all, especially as the spirit of the game was kept intact.

One thing made abundantly clear by the whole episode though was the need to keep fans in the stadium fully updated with what is going on.

They booed the umpires and India's players back onto the field after the tea break, an act which was extremely embarrassing given the fact India had just reprieved Bell with a magnificent example of sportsmanship, and the fans should have been told about that decision before anybody took to the field. They should be the first to be notified of any major decisions.

England fans showed their displeasure at the original decision

It was a farcical moment, with Dhoni going from pantomime villain to hero in a manner of seconds, and all it would have taken was a small announcement to bring clarity for the paying fans.

The umpires and India, particularly Dhoni, handled the situation excellently though and come out of the incident with an awful lot of credit.

The whole situation could have got out of hand but the correct decision was made in the end, even though India would have been well within their rights to uphold their appeal.

It truly was a one-off which could have became a major incident, so cricket and the spirit of the game is the real winner here.

Dhoni has set an example for his fellow captains and it is an example everybody should follow.

Pietersen proves he is still England's star

Kevin Pietersen's joy at reaching his double hundred was clear to see

Kevin Pietersen has seen his England role overshadowed in recent years by the excellent performances of the likes of Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell.

But his magnificent unbeaten double century against India yesterday proved he is still England's main man.

Cook, Trott and Bell can all be relied upon to score consistent runs, but none of them can take the game away from the opposition in the same way Pietersen does.

He started his innings uncharacteristically watchfully - this was the slowest 50 and subsequent 100 of his Test career - but once he got to 100, and even more so when he got to 150, he stamped all over India and put England well on top.

There were signs of a return to form for Pietersen in the Sri Lanka series, after he made two 50s in the last two Tests, but many were still doubting he would ever return to the magnificent standards he set earlier in his career. They needn't have worried.

Pietersen has so much self-confidence it was inevitable he would come back with a bang.

This is a man who, in his debut Test series, smashed the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne all around the grounds of England, eventually hitting a sensational innings of 158 at The Oval to seal an Ashes series which had the nation gripped.

The likes of Warne marvelled at Pietersen's batting in 2005

A man who was player of the tournament as England won the ICC World T20 in 2010.

A man who, despite a relative lack of form, hit his best Test score of 227 to help win the second Ashes test of 2010/11.

A man who invented the 'switch hit' shot and bullied greats of the game like McGrath, Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Pietersen may not have been in the best of form in recent years - this was his first Test century in England since he was captain in 2008 - but the fact he still averages 49.83 shows just what a high quality batsman he is.

He relishes the big occasions and produced the goods at Lord's when his side needed him.

He took to the crease on Thursday in the most difficult of batting conditions, but he weathered the storm, played himself in and reaped the benefits as his innings progressed.

It's fitting he found his form in the 2000th Test of all-time and in a series England could take the world number one ranking as he is a big game player.

While many top batsmen fail to produce the goods at Lord's, Pietersen has now hit five centuries there - only Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan have scored more - and loves playing on the hallowed turf.

Pietersen seems to thrive on the pressure and there are not many finer sights in cricket than him in full flow.

Ian Bell is brilliant to watch with his effortless play but the Lord's crowd were treated to vintage Pietersen, bludgeoning the ball all around the home of cricket after reaching his 150.

Pietersen destroyed the Indian attack in the latter part of his innings

He took 216 balls to reach his first 100 but just 110 to reach his second and that is what Pietersen is all about. That is why he is in this side.

He advances down the pitch - taking the lbw out of the equation - intimidates the bowlers and demoralises the fielders.

He can take the game away from you in the blink of an eye and there are not many others in world cricket that can do that.

In England's team, Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior are more than capable of doing it but Pietersen has the statistics to back it up, with three double centuries and seven scores of more than 150 now to his name.

He went from 150 to 202 in just 25 balls at Lord's, passing the 6000 Test runs barrier in the process, and now appears to be back at his imperious best.

Pietersen did have a couple of let-offs though, twice being reprieved by the third umpire.

The first was when he struck the ball to leg slip Rahul Dravid and, despite on field umpire Billy Bowden giving him out, replays proved inconclusive as to whether the ball had hit the ground and so Pietersen was given the benefit of the doubt.

He was then initially given out after MS Dhoni's delivery - the wicketkeeper bowling due to an injury to senior seamer Zaheer Khan - was adjudged to have clipped Pietersen's bat before being caught, but the decision was correctly overturned on review.

Pietersen immediately asked for a review after the umpire adjudged he had hit the ball

Those were just the two slices of luck Pietersen needed and a player of his quality does not need a second invitation.

There will be those who say he has not overcome all his problems overnight - India do not have a left-arm spinner and Zaheer Khan was not able to bowl - but this innings will go a long way towards rebuilding his reputation.

Pietersen was not at his glittering best for most of his innings but the fact he battled through with such determination proves he is back.

In the past, he would have played a loose stroke and got out when things weren't going swimmingly, but there was never a sense that was about to happen at Lord's and that is extremely encouraging.

The reason Pietersen had not had too many centuries of late is he kept giving his wicket away when he appeared set for a big score, but he built this innings magnificently and got what he deserved.

He will have better innings than this in the future, that is for sure, but he will feel extremely satisfied with how he battled with the demons and came out on top.

Regarding the Test match, today will be the crucial day.

England are undoubtedly in the stronger position after declaring on 474-8, but they will need to do fantastically well with the ball to overcome India's star-studded batting line-up.

The likes of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar will not give up their wickets easily and the latter would love to make the 100th 100 of his international career at Lord's, so the likes of James Anderson and Graeme Swann will need to be patient.

Legends of the game like Tendulkar and Dravid will not be easy to dismiss

They will not roll through India like they did Sri Lanka but they should be extremely positive after England's batting performance.

Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior both reached 70 and Pietersen's innings - particularly the latter part - will have given everyone added confidence.

Pietersen is back and boy will England need him if they are to win this series.

He has the X-factor to truly light up England's batting line-up and his renaissance means England are surely the stronger side, with every batsman and every bowler more than capable of making match-winning contributions.

Pietersen is the final piece of the jigsaw and on this evidence, he is still very much one of the best batsmen in the world.

Clarke gets his moment of glory

Darren Clarke used all his experience to seal his first major title

Going into the 140th Open Championship at Royal St George's, there was one Northern Irishman the whole world was seemingly talking about.

He was tipped to win his second major in a row and take his next step on the road to greatness.

But Rory McIlroy was to be overshadowed by another Northern Irishman. Not Graeme McDowell, who won the US Open last year, but Darren Clarke, who must surely have all but given up hope of winning a major.

It is quite incredible that a country the size of Northern Ireland - with an estimated population of 1.8 million - has produced three of the last seven major winners and Clarke's victory was the most unlikely of the three.

He has been a top player for almost 20 years but, at 42, he seemed to be on the slide and very few would have predicted him to break his major duck before the end of his career.

But he played magnificently over the four days at Sandwich to take his place in the history books and lift the Claret Jug. There has surely never been a more deserving or popular winner of the tournament in its 151 year history.

Clarke has always been a hugely popular player, whose career had up to now been defined by two victories in World Golf Championship events, successful appearances for Europe in the Ryder Cup and two near misses at the Open.

He was already a hugely respected figure in the world of golf but crowds have really got behind him since he played - very successfully - in the Ryder Cup of 2006 just six weeks after the death of his wife.

Clarke never let the pressure get to him as he saw off his rivals

Clarke has had a real tough time of it away from the golf course but he has done magnificently to get back to this level and achieve what he believed was his destiny.

He played fantastic golf for the first three days to go into the final round leading, but the way he held his nerve on Sunday was remarkable.

As competitors stumbled out of contention, Clarke just carried on playing excellent links golf and always seemed calm and completely in control of his game.

He is the oldest winner of the Open since 1967 and won the tournament at the 20th attempt, a new record for number of appearances before lifting the Claret Jug.

There is undoubtedly a new guard taking over golf, but Clarke's victory offers hope to all the old stagers who thought their last chance of glory had passed them by.

The likes of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa and Matteo Manassero will win multiple majors between them over the coming years but it is great to see players like Clarke still giving them a run for their money and still more than capable of beating them.

Can he go on to win more majors? It's doubtful, but this win has put the cherry on the cake of a very successful career which looked like it would fizzle out without a major title.

Clarke is popular among the public not just for how he has overcome life's adversities and not just for the quality of his golf, but also for the fact that most can identify with him.

He likes a drink, enjoys a cigarette here and there and carries a bit of extra weight. He seems down to earth and grateful to be in the position he is in, and so it is natural most fans root for him.

The Open Championship always throws up its fair share of great stories, and one of those here was that of Rickie Fowler.

The future's bright, the future's orange if Fowler is anything to go by

The 22-year-old Californian has always been tipped as a star of the future but his performance at Sandwich - he finished tied for fifth place - has confirmed him as very much a star of now.

His game seems ideally suited to links golf and this week will have filled him with confidence.

He has never won on the US Tour but on this evidence it won't take him long to break that duck.

Fowler seems an extrovert character with his orange clothing but his golf speaks for itself. He seems to do his business with little fuss and his inventive range of shots seem perfect for links golf. He is an Open champion of the future.

As for challengers to Clarke, there were only two men in realistic contention during the final day.

Phil Mickelson launched a real charge and was five-under for his round when he missed an easy par putt on 11. From then on his challenge faded and he eventually finished tied for second, but he should be very pleased with how he played in this championship.

Mickelson has traditionally struggled with links golf

His performance on the front nine on Sunday was simply sublime and some of the best golf seen for many a year, so it was a shame his game escaped him when a first Open title was seemingly within reach.

His struggles with links golf have been well documented but this was by far his best performance in the Open and should give him great confidence for future championships.

Mickelson may be 41 and perhaps approaching the twilight of his career, but he is still a world-class performer and as Clarke has proved, it is possible to win majors in your 40s.

Big-hitting Dustin Johnson was the other contender and he looked set to provide a major challenge for Clarke, but he went out of bounds on 14 - eventually double bogeying the hole - and that marked the end of his chances.

Three realistic chances of winning majors have now slipped away for Johnson

Johnson is clearly an exceptional player who is so long off the tee and a magnificent putter, but he seems to fall apart under pressure when he is close to winning majors.

His meltdown at last year's US Open is well documented and he also could have won the USPGA Championship in the same year, so this is an issue he will need to rectify before it becomes a mental block.

He deserves to win majors as he is a world-class player but unless he can overcome some mental frailties, the same situation will keep arising again and again.

Rory McIlroy couldn't get into contention at Sandwich but it is important fans and pundits do not expect too much too soon.

McIlroy could not reproduce the form which won him the US Open last month

He is a top talent and it is great he already has a major under his belt at just 22, but we shouldn't expect him to waltz away with every tournament.

McIlroy struggled with the weather conditions and many have said he will always struggle on links courses, but in reality that is an over-reaction.

We have a tendency to build people up in this country and then send them crashing down and it is important this does not happen to McIlroy as he has genuine talent and the possibilities for him are potentially endless.

The weather caught out many over the weekend but it provided the ultimate test of a golfer.

Not many birdies were sunk but it still provided a great spectacle and the intrigue never faded.

The stories of the two Toms - Watson and Lewis - encapsulated all that is great about the Open.

Youngster Lewis and veteran Watson provided one of the stories of the week

Two men at opposite ends of their careers, they both enjoyed a hugely satisfying and enjoyable week and go away with some wonderful memories.

It is great to see Watson still enjoying and competing at 61 while 20-year-old Lewis deservedly claimed the Silver Medal for being the best amateur.

Lewis is, remarkably, named after Watson and the duo played the opening two rounds together, so the Englishman should have learned a lot from playing with his hero and will benefit from the experience.

Lewis is a star of the future but for now it is all about Darren Clarke.

No longer the nearly man, no longer the man only known for drinking Guinness, no longer the man who everyone thought had missed his chance of glory.

Clarke deserved a major and never gave up on his dream but, in his heart of hearts, must never have believed it was going to happen when he was 42.

This was his defining moment and he grabbed the opportunity, refusing to be denied.

Everyone likes Clarke. The players, the fans, the caddies, the green-keepers, the sponsors, even those not interested in golf.

There has never been a more popular Open champion.

Why Levy should swallow his pride and sell Modric

Luka Modric has reportedly handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force a move from Spurs

Loyalty in football is dead, it seems.

Just a year ago, Luka Modric signed a new six-year deal with Tottenham, insisting he had "no interest in going anywhere."

A year on though and the Croatian appears desperate to get out of White Hart Lane and away from the club which gave him his big chance in English football.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has so far kept an unwavering stance on Modric, time and again claiming the midfielder will not be sold, whatever the price.

Manager Harry Redknapp has echoed his chairman's sentiments, but Spurs fans know the likelihood of Modric staying this summer are slim. The club simply cannot afford to keep a player who does not want to be there.

Spurs, and Levy, know that better than anybody. Redknapp perhaps owes his job at Spurs to the Dimitar Berbatov saga.

Berbatov sulked until his eventual move to Manchester United

In the summer of 2008, with persistent speculation on Berbatov's situation and rumours he wanted to leave, the club always insisted he would not be sold.

Manager Juande Ramos was left with a player who became an unsettling influence on those who really wanted to be at the club and the Bulgarian started the season on Spurs' bench.

On transfer deadline day, the club admitted defeat and sold Berbatov to Manchester United but the damage had already been done.

Tottenham had lost their first two games in the league - after being tipped to finish in the top four - and Ramos replaced Berbatov with the clearly inferior Roman Pavlyuchenko.

After Berbatov left, Spurs continued their nightmare start by failing to win in their first eight games and Ramos paid for that with his job.

If Tottenham allow Modric's situation to run past the season's start, they run the real risk of something similar happening again.

Modric clearly doesn't want to be there so what is the point in keeping him?

He is clearly an exceptional player, but it is doubtful Redknapp will be able to get the best out of him unless he is happy and committed to the cause.

Levy has dug himself into a hole by telling fans Modric will not be sold.

Chairman Levy is now in a very difficult situation

It will be difficult for him to change his stance now and sell the Croatian - with his reputation among fans on the line - but he needs to do it. He can't make the same mistakes he made with Berbatov.

As for Modric himself, his desire to leave Tottenham is another example of the growing greed in modern football.

Nothing dramatic has changed in the last year since he signed his bumper six-year deal.

His own brain should have told him that finishing in the top four every year was going to be an extremely difficult task so he should have accepted when he signed the contract that he was at White Hart Lane for the long haul.

If he is made to stay, he will only have himself to blame as if he wasn't fully committed to the club he should never have signed a six-year contract.

Of course, Chelsea's very public interest in him will have been unsettling and a move to Stamford Bridge would present a considerable step forward for Modric, but Spurs deserve better loyalty from him.

When he first came to England, many doubted Modric was strong enough for the Premier League but Tottenham - and particularly Redknapp - gave him his chance and he owes them.

Redknapp deserves greater loyalty from Modric

However, his stance seems as unwavering as Levy's and so we have a stalemate.

Levy is quite prepared to play tough with the playmaker and force him to stay, but in truth that would be detrimental to both Tottenham and Modric so the chairman has to swallow his pride and let his prized asset go.

Modric has jetted off to South Africa with the squad for Spurs' pre-season tour, but he clearly does not want to be there and the saga is not doing anyone any good.

Redknapp would be deeply unhappy if Levy was to do a U-turn but a sale would give him the chance to significantly strengthen his squad, bringing in a star striker and a replacement for Modric.

Levy made massive mistakes with a wantaway Berbatov and he knows what the consequences may be if a deeply unhappy Modric was to start the season with Spurs.

He must accept - through gritted teeth - that loyalty in football is dead and move on from this situation.

Redknapp, too, will look at the fate of his predecessor Ramos and worry a similar situation may await him.

It is better Spurs sell Modric now than on deadline day, with little time to find a suitable replacement and the rest of the squad unsettled.

Fans will be unhappy and Levy will be derided by them, while they will struggle to believe anything he says in the future, but he must do what is right for his club. And that is to sell Modric, now.

Levy may say that "big clubs do not sell their best players", but the biggest clubs rarely have situations like this one. The biggest clubs do not have their star players expressing a desire to leave for a club in the same league.

It may be important for Spurs' image as a club with great ambition if they were to keep Modric, but the potential effects him staying may have on the squad should outweigh that.

Levy cannot run the risk of another sulky Eastern European derailing his club's season.

Supreme Alonso wins thrilling British Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso secured his first win of the season at Silverstone

Fernando Alonso's status has never been too high among British racing fans.

From the moment he locked horns with Lewis Hamilton when they were team-mates at McLaren in 2007, most British fans have railed against the Spaniard, with many believing him to be arrogant and his spats with Briton Hamilton have not been forgotten.

However, his supreme drive at Silverstone to win the 2011 British Grand Prix has reaffirmed his status as one of the best drivers in Formula One and those very same fans could only take their hats off to his superb racing.

Some of the criticism of him in Britain is unfair, while some of it is entirely justified (as proved in the final race of last season, with his gestures towards Vitaly Petrov after he failed to pass him), but his talent as a racing driver has never been under question. He is a world-class driver.

He has proved his talent over a period of some years now, even turning an uncompetitive Renault into a contender to win races, and he has two world titles under his belt.

The way he won at Silverstone simply underlined this again.

He certainly had some luck, with McLaren and Red Bull both having problems both with pit stops and with their cars, but Alonso always looked super-quick and always seemed the most likely winner.

There were some frustrating moments for him in the early exchanges, though.

Alonso was overtaken by old rival Hamilton on lap 15 for third place, but he kept his patience and took advantage of DRS on lap 24 to retake third.

Alonso always appeared to be in control

He then overtook Mark Webber in the pit stop phase before disaster struck for leader of the race and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

He pitted along with Alonso but, due to a problem with the team's wheel nut gun, the Spaniard leapfrogged him into the lead of the Grand Prix.

From then on, Alonso streamed away and his race win never seemed in any real doubt.

He had been very patient for his chance to lead the race and once he got ahead, he was never going to give that up.

Due to the diffuser row (which is so boring I won't even go into it), Ferrari and Alonso had been significantly advantaged over the Red Bulls and McLarens so Alonso knew he had potentially the best car and that he would get better as the race went on.

In the early phase of the race - where half of the track was wet and half was dry - he struggled, but he always seemed to be in contention and when Alonso and his car are on song, he is a very difficult man to stop.

It could be argued Vettel may have won the race if it wasn't for his pit stop troubles, but in reality Alonso would probably have overtaken him anyway.

Alonso and Vettel salute the British fans after the race

He always looked the quicker man and with DRS and KERS in full effect, it would have been extremely difficult for Vettel to stay ahead for the rest of the race.

The German will be disappointed he did not win the race but the reality is he extended his lead in the drivers' championship despite problems with his pit stop, problems with KERS and the diffuser argument, so he should be pleased he has moved one step nearer to winning a second world crown.

Formula One has been widely criticised over the last two weeks after the relatively sedate race in Valencia, but this is a superb season.

It may not be tight at the top of the drivers' championship, with Vettel 80 points clear, but the majority of the races have been exhilarating, with this Grand Prix up there with the recent race in Canada in terms of excitement.

Formula One is as exciting as it ever has been and it is about more than just the title race. The racing this season has been enthralling and that should not be overshadowed by the one-sidedness of the title race. Vettel has been driving supremely and thoroughly deserves his massive lead.

One of the major talking points after this race was the use of team orders at Red Bull, with team principal Christian Horner instructing Mark Webber not to overtake Sebastian Vettel in the closing stages despite the Australian having the quicker car.

Webber appeared set to overtake Vettel in the closing laps

Webber ignored the orders, but Vettel managed to hold him off to secure second place.

A lot of race fans are disgusted with Red Bull and Horner for their use of team orders - after they heavily criticised Ferrari's use of them last year - but they should look at the bigger picture here.

Yes, it would have been great to see the two Red Bulls racing to the chequered flag, with the fastest car coming out on top.

However, it would have been madness for the team not to order Webber to not overtake Vettel.

Webber's chance of an overtake was in the final two laps and the team could not afford to run the risk of losing one, perhaps two, cars so close to the end of the race.

Red Bull would probably have let them race each other had it been earlier in the race, but it would have been idiotic for them to allow it to happen on the last two laps, particularly now teams are not restricted by team orders rules.

This incident was nowhere near as bad as the Ferrari one last year - where the team ordered Felipe Massa to let Fernando Alonso through despite the two being close in the drivers' championship and with plenty of the race left - but Webber will be extremely disappointed by it.

Last year's incident between Alonso and Massa was hugely controversial

Not only did the team not want to run the risk of losing both cars, but they also factored in the situation in the championship.

By finishing second, that earned Vettel three more crucial points towards his target of retaining the title so Webber will feel cynical about the reasons behind the order.

He will always be number two to Vettel at Red Bull and it would not be a surprise to see the Australian driving for a different team next year. Problems have persisted since, ironically, last year's British Grand Prix when Webber made his famous "not bad for a number two driver" statement, so it is perhaps fitting this issue has raised its head again at Silverstone.

Webber made things hard for himself from the outset, with Vettel overtaking him for first place before the first corner, and if the Australian had managed to stay ahead and build a lead, there would have been little his team-mate could have done about it.

The instructions may have taken a bit of the fun away at the end but it was an entirely necessary request when considering the potential implications of both cars crashing out.

There was plenty for home fans to shout about although McLaren will have mixed emotions and will be left ruing their errors after the race.

Lewis Hamilton, starting 10th, immediately fought his way up to sixth and that made the rest of the race significantly easier for him.

Hamilton recovered excellently from a poor qualifying session

He then overtook team-mate Jenson Button on lap two to take fifth place and this was the afternoon Hamilton spectacularly rebuilt his reputation as one of the best drivers in Formula One.

He looked assured of a podium place but that was snatched away from him by an extremely poor team error: they under-fuelled him, meaning he had to go painfully slow over the last few laps to save fuel and ensure he got to the end of the race.

He was left defenceless as Webber overtook him and then Felipe Massa closed up right behind him heading into the final lap. It looked like Hamilton may have been set to lose his fourth place.

At the final corner, Massa appeared to overtake him but Hamilton slid up the inside, they touched, and Massa was forced to run wide. The two cars then raced to the line and Hamilton just prevailed, providing real entertainment for the excellent Silverstone crowd.

It looked like Massa had overtook home favourite Hamilton

It was fantastic defensive driving from Hamilton as he proved he is more than capable of brilliant driving through both attack and defence. He was determined to keep fourth place after seeing a podium place snatched away from him and there was no way he was going to let Massa through without a fight.

It is now beyond much question that the three best (and most exciting) drivers in Formula One are Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso and this race only served to underline that even more.

As for Button, only McLaren's incompetence cost him a good points finish.

He drove brilliantly throughout but when he pitted on lap 39, the team allowed him to drive away without a wheel nut and so his front right tyre was not properly attached.

He barely made it out of the pit exit and was forced to retire.

Button's race was ruined by the mechanics' mistake

It was an almost amateurish incident from a team that prides itself on setting high standards.

It is very rare to see McLaren make such a mistake, but to make two in one race - the team's home race - is simply unacceptable and they will need to ensure such errors are cut out in the rest of this season.

For a long time it looked like both Hamilton and Button were set for podium places and only the mistakes of the team cost them.

With McLaren's errors, Red Bull's mistake with Vettel's pit stop and Force India's error with Paul Di Resta's pit stop - where they were set to give him Adrian Sutil's tyres - this was a bad day for the mechanics.

It did add to the excitement though and this was a classic British Grand Prix at a new-look Silverstone, team orders or no team orders.

This race was the first for Silverstone's new pit lane

There was wheel to wheel action right to the end, with the added bonus of a new winner in a season dominated by Sebastian Vettel.

It was similar to this season's Canadian Grand Prix in terms of excitement and the start, with half the track dry and half wet, more than contributed to that. It provided the ultimate test for the drivers and set the tone for the rest of the race.

The British Grand Prix is a very special occasion, something I found out when I attended it last year.

It is hard to describe the sense of occasion there is at Silverstone and that, coupled with the exciting racing, brilliant fans, noise of the cars and speed of the cars makes for a great experience.

The British Grand Prix always seems to produce a great race and it was just a pity for the fans that Hamilton and Button did not get the true rewards they deserved.

But for the poorness of the McLaren team, both could have been on the podium but take nothing away from the brilliant drive of Fernando Alonso.

His win may have come too late for him to launch a title challenge but one thing is for sure: he won't be giving up.

Vettel is still very much the man to beat but Alonso's victory just makes it that bit more interesting.

Captain Colo completes the turnaround

Alan Pardew has chosen defender Fabricio Coloccini as his new Newcastle captain

When Newcastle United were relegated in 2009, Fabricio Coloccini was ridiculed by fans and experts and was described as one of the main reasons the Magpies slipped into the Championship.

Just two years on though and he has rebuilt his reputation in spectacular style and has now been appointed captain after the departure of Kevin Nolan.

In those dark days of Newcastle's relegation season, no-one could have predicted the Argentinean would ever wear the captain's armband. The fact today's announcement to confirm him as skipper seemed inevitable and was greeted with positivity shows how well Coloccini has done over the last two years.

He shouldered much of the blame for the relegation and was heavily linked with a move away in the uncertain summer which followed, but he remained committed to the club and has been well rewarded for doing so.

He struggled to adapt to English football after joining for a reported £10.3million from Deportivo in 2008 and a number of costly errors undoubtedly contributed to Newcastle's relegation. Some of the criticism of him at the time was harsh but fans were angry and looking at figures to blame.

Coloccini must be credited for how he came back from this.

Coloccini's popularity among fans grew and grew as the promotion-winning campaign progressed

It would have been easy for him to slope off to another club after that season - like so many of his then-teammates - but he refused to shirk his responsibilities and set about proving his doubters wrong.

He knuckled down and became a lynchpin in Newcastle's subsequent promotion season.

That season in the Championship was when Coloccini truly settled in English football and it was probably a blessing for him that the Magpies went down as it allowed him to rebuild his confidence and reputation.

He was Newcastle's Mr Dependable all season and became a real cult hero with the fans, with whom he has built up a tremendous relationship, with the Toon Army inventing the 'Oh Coloccini...' ditty in his honour.

Following that tremendous season, his status among Newcastle fans was incredibly high and not many of them doubted his ability to prove himself in the Premier League.

Some 'experts', however, believed that Coloccini would again struggle in the top flight but this is a man who has been capped 34 times by Argentina and played for clubs including AC Milan.

He again proved any lingering doubters wrong with a superb season in the Premier League and must surely be one of the first names on Alan Pardew's teamsheet. This has been some turnaround from a player lambasted just two years ago and the captaincy is a fitting reward for him.

Coloccini's fantastic strike against Tottenham was one of the highlights of last season for Newcastle fans

His confidence has visibly grown over the last two years and fans have enjoyed seeing his solidness at the back and composure on the ball - he often brings the ball out of defence to start attacks - as well as his ability to pop up with goals.

Coloccini has arguably been the Magpies' most consistent performer for the last two seasons and he was seen by many as the most natural choice to take over from Nolan.

Joey Barton will be disappointed to have been overlooked but his contract situation meant it was never realistic Pardew would have appointed him captain. Steven Taylor missed out due to his lack of experience and because he is not guaranteed a regular starting spot while Cheick Tiote's style of play may have scuppered his chances as the club cannot afford to have their skipper missing through suspension for large chunks of the season.

Coloccini's appointment will certainly be popular among Newcastle fans and this is crucial as it ensures everybody will be pulling in the same direction with a fans' favourite leading the side.

Making the Argentinean captain also puts to bed any fears he may leave this summer, as fans had grown worried he may follow Nolan and possibly Barton through the door.

There are, of course, doubts about Captain Colo though.

Some are worrying Coloccini's English is not good enough for him to be captain

Many fear he still does not have a good enough command of the English language to lead the club while others feel he will be a 'yes man' in comparison to Nolan.

It is well known Nolan was one of a group of senior players who arranged meetings and made demands to Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias over the last two seasons, with many doubting Coloccini would confront the board and cause them headaches in this way.

It will be crucial that he is able to stand his ground and express the views of the dressing room as a happy squad will be vital to sustained success at St James' Park.

His influence off the field will be just as important as his influence on it. While he may not be the sort of person to confront the ownership, he is said to be extremely professional and that is key as the younger players will truly have a captain to look up to.

On the field, he is likely to be more of a captain who leads by example with his actions than a captain who shouts and drives his team on.

Coloccini - who described being handed the captaincy as "like a gift" - seems quite a calm individual when playing and that captaincy style has worked for teams in the past, so he should not try anything out of his comfort zone and act as naturally as possible.

Manager Alan Pardew can now put the captaincy issue to one side and concentrate on the new season

The announcement to make Coloccini captain came as something of a surprise as many had expected Pardew would not make his decision until close to the season's beginning.

However, appointing him now ensures stability for the players as they all know where they stand and the speculation can now fade.

Coloccini is thought to be well-liked by the players, and he has particularly good relationships with Jose Enrique and Jonas Gutierrez, so his appointment should go down well with the playing staff.

Coloccini has struck up a great friendship with fellow Spanish speakers Gutierrez and Enrique

One thing the club should be keeping an eye on though is Coloccini's contract situation.

His deal runs out in 2013 so next summer he could be in the same situation as Jose Enrique and Joey Barton find themselves in now, with just one year left to run on his contract.

Coloccini should be given a new contract now as he will be eager to stay long-term now he knows he will be captain and the club cannot afford to be in the same uncertainty they are in now next summer.

There is hope Coloccini's appointment could lead to Enrique signing a new deal, although few Newcastle fans will be holding their breath on that one.

Keeping hold of the curly-haired defender will delight fans though as he provides familiarity and the supporters have grown attached to him over the last two seasons.

This appointment should be a great one - despite some reservations - and most fans will be feeling Pardew has made the correct decision.

What next for Arsenal?

Gael Clichy (centre) has already left Arsenal, with Samir Nasri (left) and Cesc Fabregas (right) expected to follow him

"I really believe if you are a player who thinks only about money, then you end up at Manchester City."

Those the words of Gael Clichy, the then-Arsenal left-back, in 2009, speaking after ex-Gunners man Emmanuel Adebayor made the move to Eastlands.

Fast-forward two years though, and Clichy has himself joined City, leaving behind an Arsenal side that have now gone six years without a trophy.

He now appears to have had a U-turn with his views on City. After signing, he said: "I think anything is possible with this team. There is no limit. You need to have a big squad to go all the way. That is why I joined City. I joined because I want to win things."

Clichy criticised players who joined City in the past

So what has changed in the last two years to force this major turnaround in Clichy's beliefs?

The short answer is an awful lot.

City won the FA Cup last season, qualified for the Champions League for the first time, finished ahead of Arsenal in the table and have continued to show their ambition by flexing their considerable financial muscle in the transfer market.

Arsenal, meanwhile, appear no nearer to ending their trophy drought.

They lost the Carling Cup final to Birmingham, had an almighty collapse in the Premier League title race, still appear reluctant to splash out on big name players in the transfer market and, perhaps most importantly of all, look set to lose their two star players this summer, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

Fabregas and Nasri reportedly want to leave Arsenal

City may lose their biggest star this summer too, with Carlos Tevez desperate for a move away, but the difference here is that you know he will be replaced with a quality player more than capable of stepping into his boots. With Arsenal, you cannot be so sure.

Fabregas will go to Barcelona but Nasri could go to City, Manchester United or Chelsea, all Premier League rivals of Arsenal, while City wouldn't dare sell Tevez to someone in the same league. If Clichy and Nasri are both playing for Premier League clubs (but not Arsenal) next season, the Gunners could live to regret that decision big time.

The truth is that Manchester City is a much more viable option than Arsenal for players now.

The club is clearly going places and only look set to continue improving, so they can now match what players want not only with wages but also with their ambitions on the pitch.

Clichy was right with his comments in 2009 but players who join City now can see success waiting for them. It is no longer just about the money.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are becoming less attractive for players year on year.

If Fabregas and Nasri leave, there will be a distinct lack of stardust in their team next season and their top four place is sure to be under threat.

City, Manchester United and Liverpool have already paid hefty sums for players this summer while Chelsea and Tottenham appear sure to follow suit, so if Arsenal do not act quickly they could find themselves sixth next season.

Arsene Wenger is sure to be extremely frustrated with recent developments

Of course, Arsene Wenger would do his utmost to replace any key players who leave but where is he going to find someone the quality of Fabregas? Or Nasri? Or even Clichy?

The truth is that Arsenal are destined to be significantly weaker next season.

Critics have knocked them from pillar to post in this close-season and it's only going to get worse. They are becoming a stepping stone club and need to halt this alarming trend now.

In the past, Wenger has brought in great players, watched them flourish and then sold them when they got past their sell-by date. Prominent examples of this are Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg.

Now, however, he is selling his players before they even reach their prime.

Fabregas and Nasri will leave the Emirates with their best years surely still ahead of them while Clichy has left aged 25. Others like Emmanuel Adebayor and Mathieu Flamini were also sold before their 26th birthday so Arsenal have become a selling club.

All the talk surrounding Fabregas and Nasri has reportedly unsettled other players too.

Robin van Persie is in line to pick up the captaincy if Fabregas leaves but he has just two years left on his contract and will be in the same situation as Clichy and Nasri this time next year.

van Persie was a key player for Arsenal last season

Theo Walcott's contract also expires two years from now and he is said to be interesting Chelsea, so Wenger must now stamp his authority and insist no more players leave.

When Fabregas and Nasri depart, there will be a lack of big names for fans to latch onto so the likes of van Persie and Walcott simply must stay. Selling five key players in one transfer window would be nothing but suicide.

Arsenal still have quality young players, like Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, but they must have experienced players around them or this will just turn into a circle for Arsenal.

They faced a similar situation just four or five years ago when the side lacked experience and now they look set to be in the same situation again. Wenger must sign experienced players to stop the cycle starting again.

Just last year Patrice Evra derided Arsenal by calling the club nothing more than a "football training centre", and it is hard to argue with his sentiment now.

Evra has been outspoken about Arsenal in the past

Evra praised the way they play football but insisted no-one would remember that in years to come, they will only remember the teams who won titles.

People are queuing up to have a pop at the Gunners now, so much so that the usually-quiet-as-a-mouse Paul Scholes this week described Arsenal's pretty football as "pointless" when they are not winning anything, while also going on to say they "flatter to deceive".

When Scholes is lining up to have a go at you, you know you are in trouble so Wenger must do something this summer to halt the slide.

He should certainly have the money to do so, with somewhere around £70million to be brought in through player sales alone.

Wenger should also have significant money left over from previous transfer windows in which he didn't spend and that will be complimented by TV and Champions League money, so he really has no excuses not to spend money now.

He should get the Fabregas and Nasri sagas out of the way quickly to begin with. If both players want to go, he should sell them as anything else would merely be delaying the inevitable and upsetting the players genuinely committed to the club.

He then simply needs to go on a spending spree.

There is growing fan discontent at the rise in ticket prices at the Emirates so Arsenal need to justify that by bringing in big-name players.

Wenger has so far brought in 19-year-old Carl Jenkinson from Charlton as well as Barcelona teenagers Hector Bellerin and Jan Toral, but what Gunners fans really want is a batch of players who can bring them success next season.

Jenkinson was Arsenal's first summer signing

Lille's Gervinho looks certain to join in the coming days and he is the type of signing to excite fans, while if the club can also capture the likes of Aly Cissokho, Gary Cahill, Juan Mata and Mathieu Valbuena they will be taking significant steps in the right direction.

They will probably need to bring in more than five players though, with a number of fringe players needing to be replaced.

Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson look set to leave while Andrei Arshavin has also been heavily linked with a move away, so a major rebuilding job needs to take place.

Denilson has expressed his desire to leave Arsenal this summer

This is undoubtedly Wenger's greatest test since becoming Arsenal manager but even his past successes can not save him if he doesn't deliver silverware next season.

Great players need to be brought in to give them any chance but the reality is even a top four place seems a distant dream.

A full season from Thomas Vermaelen will be key but Arsenal do not look in any position to progress at the moment.

To complicate matters further, Alex Song is reportedly facing a potential two-year jail sentence after a bar brawl in Cameroon.

There are so many problems and so much uncertainty surrounding the Gunners now and the fear is this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

With van Persie and Walcott set to have just one year left on their contracts this time next year, the same old problems look set to arise again.

Walcott has been linked with a move to Chelsea

It is crazy that a club of Arsenal's size allows players to get so perilously close to the end of their contracts. Key players should be given new contracts well in advance of their old ones coming to an end to avoid situations just like this.

Despite all this, perhaps it is not all doom and gloom.

If Wenger spends the money correctly, Arsenal could yet have a formidable team next season.

Perhaps we should judge their transfer business only when the window slams shut.

Wenger has done a miraculous job over the years at Arsenal - despite their six-year trophy drought and lack of spending - and he should just be allowed to get on with it.

There will be a niggling thought at the back of his mind that he should have left in 2004, though.

He could have had his pick of jobs around the world then, with his reputation sky-high after Arsenal's 'Invincibles' campaign, where they went the entire season unbeaten.

Now though, his image has gone from simply The Professor to The Nutty Professor, so he may feel he should have left the club on a high after the unbeaten campaign.

Wenger has grown increasingly frustrated over the years

He stayed because he thought he could deliver the Champions League but he must now look back and wish he left then.

He knows another season without a trophy now would leave his position almost untenable so he is under intense pressure to deliver quality signings.

With Clichy already leaving this summer and Fabregas and Nasri set to join him, hungry players are seeing no future of winning trophies at the Emirates.

Top players no longer want to spend their prime years there and Wenger knows his club is on the slide unless he does something very quickly.

This is the Frenchman's greatest test and it would not be a very wise bet to predict him to pass it.

It's Champagne Super Novak as Djokovic wins Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon for the first time at the age of 24

Rafael Nadal hit his backhand long and Novak Djokovic had the moment he had always dreamed about.

All the years of sweat and toil had come to fruition and the Serbian could truly warrant his new world number one ranking by winning the biggest tournament of them all, Wimbledon.

It wasn't the classic final it could have been by any means but it was a superb display from Djokovic which represented a real changing of the guard in men's tennis.

Nadal was not at his flawless best but even if he had been he would have found it extremely difficult to tame Djokovic.

He has taken his game onto another level in the last few months through sheer hard work and he now has his reward.

In many ways, he out-Rafad Rafa and that was one of the keys to his victory.

Djokovic has possibly the best defence in the game and he can switch into aggressive mode at seemingly any time, while Nadal simply had no answer to his brilliance.

It is unlikely anyone could have beaten Djokovic in this form

Normally, it is Nadal who stays in points against all the odds to wear his opponents down but Djokovic turned the tables at SW19 and forced the Spaniard into unusual errors.

Nadal's game is built around the fact he rarely makes errors but he made 15 unforced errors to Djokovic's 12 and that shows just the kind of quality the Serbian produced on Centre Court.

The match started with quality serving displays from both but the turning point came with Nadal serving at 5-4 down in the first set.

The first break point of the match arrived and Djokovic duly took it, demonstrating the ruthless style which has seen him leapfrog Nadal and Roger Federer to become number one in the world.

Sensing his opportunity, the Serbian then played one of the best sets ever seen at Wimbledon to take the second set 6-1 and leave Nadal's unbeaten record at SW19 since 2007 in tatters.

He attacked every ball and punished any Nadal weaknesses, with Djokovic's movement around the court simply too hot for the 10-time major winner to handle.

Nadal had no real answer to Djokovic's brilliance

When Nadal lost the first set to Andy Murray in the semi-final, it looked like the second set may follow so Djokovic's success in sealing the second set in the final will act as an indicator of what might have been for Murray.

Like the true champion he is, Nadal came back strongly in the third set, finally re-finding the rhythm on his serve and finding a way to break Djokovic twice.

This looked like the real Nadal and when he earned a break point at the start of the fourth, it looked like a sensational comeback was on.

Djokovic kept his cool though and held serve, before breaking Nadal with some wonderful deep groundstrokes.

However, Nadal broke straight back and that could have led to a collapse from Djokovic, who must have been thinking "How can I beat this man?"

There was to be no collapse though and after Nadal double faulted to hand the Serbian another break and a 5-3 lead, Djokovic had the chance to serve for the match.

He wobbled slightly at the start of the game but a couple of Nadal errors and some good serving sealed a well-deserved victory for Djokovic.

Djokovic fell to the Wimbledon turf and then tasted the grass after sealing victory

Djokovic would have become world number one whatever the result of this match but by winning it proves he is the best player in the world.

Had Nadal won, most fans would have acknowledged he was still the best but the way his game was dismantled means there can be no arguments with the rankings now.

Djokovic has won two of the three Grand Slams this year and has a record of 50 wins and just one loss in his last 51 matches, so there can be no doubts the Serbian is ahead of Nadal now.

Djokovic has now beaten the Spanish warrior five times in a row and just has an edge over him at the moment, with this Wimbledon triumph proving that.

Nadal will be desperately trying to work out a way to beat Djokovic now as he will not want to be second best for long, and it would be no surprise to see him come up with a better gameplan to beat the Serbian in the near future.

Nadal knows he needs to again step up his game to match Djokovic

It may seem strange to say this about a man with 10 major titles, but Nadal seems to have a mental block against Djokovic at the moment as he knows the Serbian has the perfect game to beat him. If Nadal is to get the top spot back, he will need to overcome this but it is hard to keep a great man down and this mental block should not last long.

Djokovic - Nadal is now certainly the biggest rivalry in men's tennis and there will be many more battles to come from these great players. The Serbian has the edge, just as Nadal did in the past, but the Spaniard will feel confident he can return to those levels when he is truly free of injuries.

One of the biggest strengths of Djokovic has always been his return of serve and that was at its best in the final.

Despite Nadal's great first serve percentage of 78%, Djokovic seemed to have the measure of his serve and he always seemed to have a chance of breaking him.

He has the best return in men's tennis and that is what has taken him to the top of the game.

Djokovic's return ensures opponents can't settle on their serve

Possibly the most important factor in Djokovic's win though was the way he seized every opportunity given to him.

He earned just six break points in the entire match yet took five of them, which was a stunning return.

He took his chances when they presented themselves and that is the key to beating somebody like Nadal.

If you let him back, he will punish you so the moment you get an opportunity you must take it.

Nadal took three of his six break point opportunities, which is more than decent, but he was not as clinical as Djokovic and that was surely the most key difference between the two in the match.

Djokovic has now won three Grand Slams but this is by far the best achievement in his career so far.

He has won the Australian Open twice and while winning there must have been a great feeling, Wimbledon is on another level in terms of importance and prestige.

Djokovic earned his second Australian Open title with victory over Andy Murray in January

Djokovic will always be remembered as a Wimbledon champion now and the grass court conditions are usually seen as a true marker of how good a tennis player is, so his quality can no longer be questioned and whatever happens, he will always be a champion there.

He has had an unbelievable year but perhaps his greatest tests are yet to come.

He now has the pressure of the number one ranking and will be the person to be shot at at the top of the game, so he will have to work even harder to stay there.

Djokovic is in the form of his life - as his one loss this year proves - but it won't last forever. The big question is how long can he sustain it for?

He is likely to retain the number one ranking for at least the rest of this year but next year it will be hard as he will have an awful lot of ranking points to defend as a result of his long unbeaten run.

His main target will be to win more majors though and it is extremely unlikely he will be satisfied with just the three.

He has watched Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer hoover up Grand Slams and will now feel that it is his turn to take a share of the limelight.

Federer and Nadal have denied the likes of Djokovic the chance to win majors in the past

Djokovic is the best player in the world but will only be satisfied when his majors collection is significantly added to.

As for Nadal, he wasn't at his best in the Wimbledon final but he still has a lot to be proud of.

For a so-called "clay-court specialist", he has done remarkably well to reach five finals at Wimbledon and has proved himself to be a great player on all surfaces.

He was undoubtedly hindered in the final by a hairline fracture in his left foot, although it is a measure of the man that he did not use that as an excuse.

Nadal will reportedly miss six weeks with a fracture of his left foot

Nadal is now likely to be out of action for six weeks so it is remarkable he managed to produce some of his best tennis against Andy Murray and still managed to take a set in the final.

Nadal would never blame injury for a defeat and Djokovic played sublimely, but you just never know what might have happened had the Spaniard been fully fit.

It is true that Djokovic beat Nadal four times this year when he was fully fit but this was a best of five sets match and it is always a monumental task to win three sets against the Spaniard.

Nadal missed out on the chance of lifting the Wimbledon trophy for a third time

If he is out for six weeks, that would mean he would go into the US Open in August without much practice on hard courts and that must be a concern for him.

He will be eager to set the record straight at Flushing Meadows by retaining his title but this injury is just an added complication.

Nadal was gracious as always after losing to Djokovic but inside he will be angry to have lost his Wimbledon title and will want to send out a clear message as soon as possible.

Nadal applauded Djokovic as he lifted the trophy

He will leave a great legacy whatever happens, with a record of 10 wins and three losses from Grand Slam finals, six titles at the French Open, five finals at Wimbledon, victories on the hard courts of New York and Melbourne and as one of only two players to win the Career Golden Slam (winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympics Gold), but he is still hungry for more successes and do not be surprised to see him firing at his best again soon.

Now the monopoly of Nadal and Federer has been broken, it should lead to majors being shared out more in future.

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro and others are all realistic possibilities to win Grand Slams now, with men's tennis in possibly the strongest shape it has ever been in.

Britain's sole hope, Murray, will be desperately hoping for a dip in form from the likes of Djokovic and Nadal but Djokovic's emergence as the world's best player should give him a lot of hope.

Murray and Djokovic have always been thought to have similar ability

Murray was ahead of Djokovic not so long ago so he knows he can reach those levels providing he can overcome some of the mental issues he suffers from when pitted against the best players.

For now though, it is all about Djokovic who must be feeling pretty invincible now as the Wimbledon champion and world number one.

It is a great double for him and he will be enjoying this moment greatly, although he knows he has a lot of hard work to do to get where he wants to be and remembered as one of the greatest ever champions.

He has worked tirelessly to get himself where he is though and is not about to give this up.

Novak Djokovic is the new juggernaut in men's tennis and he is going to be extremely difficult to stop.