Andy Murray wins US Open final against Novak Djokovic
The Scot's career reached an apogee of excellence over five sets in the wind-whipped testing ground of the Arthur Ashe Court at Flushing Meadows in the US Open final against the defending champion Novak Djokovic, who was spent and gracious at the end. He was spent because Murray made him run miles; gracious because he is a decent man.
Murray's 7-6 (12-10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 victory over an opponent exactly a week younger than him and whose career he has trailed like a jet vapour since they were 11 years old, equalled the longest in a final here, four hours and 54 minutes - exactly the same time it took Murray's coach, Ivan Lendl, to lose to Mats Wilander in the 1988 final, Kazinform has learnt from the Guardian.
Murray reckoned he saw Old Stone Face smile at the end. Well he might. It was a flawed, heroic, unforgettable contest, taking about as long as a decent production of Macbeth, with nearly as many twists and turns. A scattered collection of Scots watched, headed by the loud knights Sean Connery and Alex Ferguson - as well Andy's delighted mother, Judy - as a final that arrived a day late due to a rain-made postponement, the fifth here in five years, held New Yorkers spellbound. But it was worth the wait. This, after all, was the culmination of a quest that has frustrated British aspirants in 287 grand slam tournaments since 1936.
"They were incredibly tricky conditions," Murray said. "After the third and fourth sets it was really tough for me. Novak is such a fighter. I just managed to get through. I think that was almost a smile I just saw [motioning towards Lendl]. He's one of the greatest players, made eight consecutive finals. I want to thank not just him, but the whole team, who have been there from the start."
As Murray lifted the trophy, the thought crept through none the less: could this really have happened? It could. It did. And it could not have happened to a nicer guy. Djokovic added: "I want to congratulate Andy on his first grand slam, he thoroughly deserves it. I really tried my best. I gave it my all. It was a tremendous match."
When the sainted Perry won his third US title in 1936, beating Don Budge in five quick sets with wooden rackets in the same event under a different name, the National Championships, it was at a different venue, on the grass of the West Side Tennis Club at nearby Forest Hills. They wore long trousers and slicked their hair. They didn't watch television nor fly often in aeroplanes. They didn't play tie-breaks and they didn't get paid.
Murray earned $1.9m (£1.1m) for his maiden major victory to go with career earnings of $21.5m (£13.4m) and is worth £24m through endorsements and prize-money; Perry turned pro after beating Budge and made much more through his famous shirts than he ever did with a tennis racket. This was hardly about the money, though. As in Perry's case, it was about fulfilment of personal ambition, as well as a nation's absurdly drawn-out longing to adjust tennis history.
And how he made us suffer. Again. He seems incapable of winning easily in the really big matches; indeed, at four times of asking in grand slam finals, he has lost fairly convincingly. This was a victory against a rival who'd been in sublime form all fortnight and who, after going two sets down, came back at him as if he'd stolen his car. The first two sets were as tight as the scores suggest, the tie-break lingering 26 minutes before Murray converted his sixth set point. In the second, he raced to 4-0 and there were not many who reckoned on what was to come. Murray held his advantage, with a little difficulty, took the set and then we got down to some serious fighting across the net.
Read more