Alas! Federer played some of his best tennis in 2 years. Unfortunately it wasn't enough against a player playing even better tennis.
Some points Nadal won, could not have been replicated by any other present player except say Djokovic at his best.
Those Federer back-hands, forehands, slices etc, had winners written all over it. Yet Nadal managed to get to them and return with a winner of his own.
Perhaps if Federer didn't collapse at the start of the 1st set tie-break, matching Nadal stride for stride until then, he might have been able to win the tie-break. The match complexion would have changed and put the onus on Nadal instead.
Once Nadal had that ace card, it was inevitable that his superior power, aggression and fitness would break Federer's serve. Expectedly it came in Set 2, and from then Nadal was on cruise control.
Federer's only hope left was Nadal's hand blisters taking it's toll. It didn't, and although he finally managed to break Nadal in Set 3, it was only a retur