(CNN)  -- Rafael Nadal claimed his first Australian Open title and denied a tearful Roger Federer his 14th grand slam crown after another epic five-set victory, 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2 in Melbourne on Sunday. Nadal holds the trophy as an emotional Federer takes in his defeat. As expected, it proved a titanic struggle between the two leading players in world tennis, who were meeting for the first time since Nadal took Federer's Wimbledon title last July in another five-set classic. Nadal, who played the longest match in Australian Open history to beat Fernando Verdasco in his semifinal, was expected to show signs of tiredness, but it was Federer who wilted in the decider.
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Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer to win Australian Open title
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The two men serve up another five-set thriller on Rod Laver Arena
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Nadal was winning his sixth grand slam title and first on a hardcourt
At the prize presentation a bitterly disappointed @placeholder admitted he had "felt better" before shedding tears as the crowd gave him a standing ovation.