Rusedski returned to the tour determined to deliver a final flourish. By September 2005, he was back in the world's top 30 and in 2006 he briefly regained the British number one ranking for the first time in eight years.

And in Davis Cup, with Henman retired, Rusedski finally received the appreciation that bypassed him in the early years of his career.

In 2005, he beat Israel almost on his own and in 2006 beat Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky - a player 13 years his junior - in five sets.

His Davis Cup career finished on a high note as he partnered Jamie Murray to give Britain victory over the Netherlands in 2007.