Top matches of 2014 - 10) Djokovic v Federer

Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) shakes hands with Switzerland's Roger Federer after the former won their men's singles final match on day thirteen of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. Photo / Getty.

The Herald counts down the greatest sporting encounters of the year.

There is no doubt old man Roger Federer is past it. There are at least two other tennis players in the world who he can't beat on a regular basis - which means he's well beyond his best.

But the 33-year-old has certainly had a resurgence this year winning his first ever Davis Cup title.

The Fed haters would point out 'he hasn't won a slam in two years' while the apologists would say 'he's number two in the world!'

The truth is he's not actually past it, it's just that 'Vintage Federer' doesn't show up as often as he used to. The Federer who put away opponents with complete ease (with the exception of some kid from Manacor), the Federer who had the ball on a string, the Federer who won 17 grand slam titles.

When Vintage Federer does show, it's magic. Even if he's a little late like at the US Open quarter-finals against Gael Monfils when he came back from two sets down and two match points to beat the Frenchman in five.

And amazingly sometimes Vintage Federer shows up but still loses, like the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic - the best tennis match of 2014.

It was at Centre court at Wimbledon - where Federer had already won seven Wimbledon titles - but also the same place he lost one of the greatest ever finals to Rafael Nadal in an epic five-setter.

Six years later and the man with so many great memories on the grass at The Championships was on the losing end of another great match.

Four minutes short of four hours it was a classic topsy-turvy final. Federer won the first, Djokovic the second and third before Federer took the fourth - after being down 5-2.

Read that again - down 5-2 in the fourth and he set up a deciding fifth set. Momentum shifted more often than the pendulum in a grandfather clock.

Eventually though, the fourth set took too much out of Federer and Vintage Djokovic, the number one in the world for a reason, closed out the match for his second Wimbledon title. 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4. Vintage stuff.