There are no rankings points for Davis Cup matches, so his heroic victory  over Todd Martin had absolutely nothing to do with it. However, Pat Rafter's long-awaited elevation to world No1 could hardly have been better timed.

While the bungling of the US team did not provide Rafter the chance to underline his new status by meeting and beating Pete Sampras, the man who has held the No1 ranking at the end of each of the past six years, few could begrudge Rafter the computer-generated crown after his courageous five-set victory clinched the quarter-final tie for Australia.

The No1 title will not become official until Monday, when the ATP Tour number-crunchers announce that Rafter has replaced French Open champion Andre Agassi at the top of the rankings.

That is more likely to leave the Australian quietly fulfilled than wildly elated - as he was in Boston after what he described as the greatest victory of his career - because the 26-year-old has always said he would much prefer a grand slam title to a statistical rating.

Three times this year Rafter had come within touching distance of the top spot.

At the Italian Open he needed to beat Gustavo Kuerten in the final but lost to the claycourt specialist.

At the French Open he had to reach the quarter-finals and at Wimbledon the final, but both times he fell short.

So, given the energy he has spent in compiling an impressive, though not quite imposing record this year, it was ironic Rafter inherited the title because of a reshuffling of rankings points rather than the result of yet another sweat-soaked five-setter.

It has been 25 years since an Australian - John Newcombe - held the top ranking and, as invariably happens when a new No1 is crowned, the title-holder's claim to the throne formerly occupied by greats such as John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker will be heavily scrutinised.

Rafter is the fifth man to hold the title this year - after Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Carlos Moya, Sampras and Agassi - when there had never previously been more than three No1s in a year.

That fact has been used as evidence that, with Sampras stating he will no longer make the top spot his priority, the title should be declared vacant until the next superstar emerges.

Rafter's performances in the majors this year - fourth round at the Australian Open, second round at the French, semi-finals at Wimbledon - the tournaments where the best are judged, have been solid but not spectacular.

And, as Sampras has demonstrated by his longevity and Kafelnikov portrayed equally well during his brief and troubled reign, it is not so much inheriting the No1 position as staying there that presents the true test.

With his US Open championship to defend, the former "one-slam guy" will be the scalp everyone wants to collect in New York in September.

But that is for the future. If for nothing else but the great determination, grace and sportsmanship he has shown in fighting his way to the top, Rafter deserves to enjoy the view from the summit where he has proudly planted the Australian flag.