Sport tends to tread a line somewhere between the magnificent and the ridiculous and on Sunday night/Monday morning, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal provided us with a helping of both, plus everything in between in an almost unbelievable conclusion to the Australian Open.
The record books will define this match as a classic to beat all the classics and it is hard to argue that both men don't deserve universal praise for an epic feature event which lasts seven minutes shy of six hours.
Those who watched it - either live or on TV - will never forget these two warriors - pushing the barriers of masochism as they willed themselves into shot after shot after shot, eventually to be separated after five sets of relentless tennis by Djokovic's killer instinct over Nadal's courage.
There had to be a winner out of this match - although at some stages it was doubtful we would ever find one - and the fact it was Djokovic makes the moment all the more significant.
This was his fifth Grand Slam, his third Australian Open, but this was the moment a man who had sat in the shadow of the legends of his era, Nadal and Roger Federer - emerged as a hero in his own right.
Nobody could question Djokovic's ability, especially during his amazing 2011, which was the most dominant year by any player in a generation. But the black mark most held over him was his courage under the absolute pressure cooker.
But that perhaps he lacks the charisma of Federer and Nadal, certainly does not means he lacks the character. This was the bravest win in a Grand Slam tournament in a very, very long time, and the fact he spent nearly six hours on court disposing of Nadal just 48 hours after a five-set epic against Andy Murray will not be forgotten.
It was a contest Djokovic completely deserved to win and in all honestly, he should have wrapped it up over an hour earlier when he dominated the fourth set but could not find a way to break Nadal's resolve.
He played perfect tennis for 86 of the 88 minutes of that fourth set and had several chances to get over the top of Nadal, but from 5-3 up in the tie-breaker, he faltered, ever so briefly, allowing the irrepressible Spaniard another chance.
When Nadal broke him to lead 4-2 in the decider, the world was coming to knock Djokovic off his perch. The old stereotypes about him having the talent but not the character in the heat of battle were being warmed up.
But this Djokovic is a vastly different beast from the one who a few years ago was criticised for 'giving up' when it got too hard. He faced down the toughest, fittest and arguably the most brilliant player of his generation and with his endless commitment to playing excellent tennis, got his man.
This is a victory over brilliant consistency over plain brilliance. Djokovic should be celebrated in the highest company of tennis's history for this success. This was beyond great, this was magnificent.
Nadal's defeat does not sully whatsoever what he has achieved in his sublime career to date. If anything, he enhanced his reputation, by playing far from his best tennis for the better part of three sets, but finding a way to push