showpiece

"There have been long-held fears that this latest supposedly showpiece tournament, shoehorned into an already over-crowded calendar after a gruelling season, would struggle to capture the public imagination," he said.

Bath narrowly lost to Northampton in the Twickenham showpiece last June but were overwhelming favourites this time around.

This week's World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's is the longer format's showpiece.

But the first meeting between the ATP Tour’s standout pair in a Grand Slam showpiece ended in an all-time classic to further fuel what is fast becoming a must-see rivalry.

The first Grand Slam showpiece between the two dominant players on the ATP Tour had been a tantalising prospect - and it surpassed the hype.