US Open: Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic to make history

The sight many British tennis fans feared they would never see

Unquestionably, this has been the best summer of sport Great Britain has ever seen.

As well as all the blue riband events which always captivate the nation, the London Olympic and Paralympic Games have provided such a feel good factor that sport has been at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Yesterday appeared to be all about celebrating the staggering achievements of Team GB, as an estimated one million took to the streets of London to watch the athletes' parade.

One medallist who couldn't be there to soak in the incredible atmosphere was Andy Murray, who won a gold and a silver what seems like a lifetime ago.

He had more pressing matters to deal with. A US Open final, no less.

Could he provide Britain with one last incredible achievement before this summer festival of sport was over? Of course.

Not even the great Novak Djokovic could stop the wave of positivity in British sport continuing beyond London 2012.

In a five-set, nail-biting epic, Murray prevailed in four hours 54 minutes - a joint record for a US Open final - to break his major duck.

Murray was already a great of British tennis before last night's dramatic victory, but has now made himself a legend.

As the first man from these shores to win a Grand Slam championship since Fred Perry 76 years ago, surely nobody can deny him that status.

Murray has been extremely unfortunate to play in the same era as three of the all-time greats in Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but that makes this victory all the more fulfilling.

The challenges Murray faces tournament after tournament in trying to beat these tennis icons were even apparent yesterday, as Djokovic levelled the match after being two sets down.

In the first set, the Scot won an incredible tie-break to give himself the best possible start, and while the standard of tennis from the pair wasn't at the highest level, it remained brutal.

The first set included one 54-shot rally - the longest of the entire tournament - and both men seemingly don't know when they are beaten during baseline rallies, so the winner of this clash was always going to have to suffer for it.

Murray raced into a 4-0 second set lead and appeared to be dominating, but the Serbian hit back against his nervous opponent and the set was eventually levelled at 5-5. It's never simple with Murray.

The momentum had changed dramatically and if the first set's outcome appeared crucial, this one seemed pivotal.

Djokovic, despite having five major titles already to his name, still appeared edgy.

Serving at 6-5 down in the second set, the Serbian handed Murray two break points, which were converted at the second opportunity.

Murray held his nerve to take the second set

Murray has suffered his fair share of agony in major finals, but just like his coach, Ivan Lendl, it appeared his moment of triumph would eventually come at the fifth attempt.

However, Djokovic is a warrior. He never gives in. He squeezes every last ounce he can out of any match. To beat him, you have to go the distance, mentally and physically.

The Serbian was suddenly revitalised despite the two set deficit, and deservedly took the third set 6-2 to set up a nail-biting conclusion to the match.

Djokovic then broke Murray's serve in the first game of the fourth set to show what a champion he is, and that he still fully intended to retain the US Open title he captured for the first time a year ago.

Murray was nervous, fully aware of the enormity of the situation, and there appeared only one winner.

The momentum was all with Djokovic, and despite some break point opportunities for Murray in the set, the Serbian took it 6-3 to take it to a deciding set.

However, the beauty of tennis, indeed the beauty of sport, is that momentum can change in an instant.

Murray may have lost that fourth set, but he was involved in some breathtaking rallies and gave himself opportunities to break Djokovic, so the belief was clearly still there. He knew he still had what it took to make history.

Murray showed the incredible character he has by breaking Djokovic in the first and third games of the deciding set to race into a 3-0 lead, but you can never write Djokovic off.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Sean Connery watched on from the stands, seemingly mesmerised by what they were witnessing, but the best moment was still to come.

The standard of the match had been steadily growing throughout and it had developed into a classic encounter, the type of which is likely to destroy the confidence of the loser. If Murray lost from this position, how could he have possibly recovered?

Djokovic immediately broke back to pull back Murray's lead slightly, but the Scot remained strong.

He is one of the best returners the game has ever seen, and that was proving crucial here.

At 4-2 up and facing Djokovic's serve, Murray carved out two break point opportunities and took them for a 5-2 lead. He was to serve for the championship and his first major victory.

It can only be imagined what Murray's heart-rate was at that point.

In living rooms up and down Britain, as the clock ticked past 2am, most tennis fans' heart-rates were surely through the roof. History was about to be made. Surely?

Murray brought up three championship points by going 40-0 up with some nerveless tennis, and although Djokovic saved one of those, the end was nigh.

A Murray second serve was smashed long by Djokovic to hand the Scot a 6-2 last set triumph and end 76 years of British hurt.

Murray pushed through the pain barrier to seal his victory

Murray seemingly didn't know what to do when victory was confirmed.

There was no great outpouring of emotion - probably due to the fatigue he was feeling after such a brutal match - but you could sense how much it meant to him.

If he had lost this match, he surely would never have tasted victory on the biggest stages of all.

Now, though, it appears his career is on a steep, upwards curve which is only going to go from strength to strength.

Murray has won most of the British public over in recent months, too.

They suffered with him through his agonising losses, none more so than at Wimbledon this year when he won the hearts of the nation after losing to Federer in the final.

A tearful Murray remarked "I'm getting closer!", and he didn't have to wait too much longer to reach the top of his Everest.

His gold medal at the London Olympics, in which he trounced Federer in the final, clearly gave him a huge surge in belief and the wave of positivity which surrounded him surely carried him all the way to America.

Murray's Olympic victory gave him a taste of things to come

Lendl deserves huge praise for helping turn Murray from a nearly man into a champion on the world stage, and the Scot's more aggressive style of tennis is surely in no small part down to him.

Lendl's calmness in the stands during Murray's matches has clearly had a positive effect on the British number one, and has helped him remain calm himself in the most pivotal moments of matches.

There is a sense Murray wasn't ready to win a major before now, but he has now proved that he has matured beyond belief.

To bounce back after losing a two set lead was simply staggering and the feeling is this could be the first of many major triumphs for him.

The omens were all there for Murray.

It took Lendl five finals to win his first major, and Fred Perry won his first major championship at the US Open on September 10 1933, 79 years to the day from Murray's first major triumph.

Murray will surely now have the respect of everyone on the men's tour - if he didn't already - and 2012 belongs to him.

He had a superb Australian Open - where he lost to Djokovic in an epic semi-final - a decent French Open where he got to the quarters, a thrilling Wimbledon in which he contested his first final at SW19, a dazzling Olympics where he won gold in the singles and silver in the mixed doubles and now a history-making US Open where he has ended Britain's major drought.

The four majors have been shared between the four top players this year, but this is Murray's year due to the prestige of the Olympic title added to his US Open victory.

Murray could even end the year as world number one, which would be fitting.

He has stood toe-to-toe with the best and now is starting to beat the best, so who could deny him that ranking?

Praise must be given to Djokovic, too.

He never knows when he is beaten, both in rallies and match situations, and this defeat must have been like a dagger through his heart.

After battling back from two sets down, Djokovic must have felt Murray was there for the taking, making his ultimate failure to triumph all the more frustrating for him.

He produced some sublime tennis - the sort of which saw him win three successive major titles between 2011 and 2012 - to push Murray all the way, but still found the time at the end to congratulate the victor.

Tennis has so many fantastic sportsmen who are gracious in victory and defeat, and the top four players are such superb ambassadors for their sport.

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray are all tremendous ambassadors for tennis

Sport - and tennis in particular - can be so cruel and gratifying in equal measure, and that was never more evident than last night.

Tennis is a fascinating sport due to the loneliness of its competitors and the ebbs and flows which define its biggest matches, and last night's encounter was one of the best of modern times.

It is a sport which examines its competitors more than any other mentally, and Murray passed his test of character with flying colours yesterday.

Murray's triumph was yet another defining moment in this great British summer of sport, which will never be topped.

He has catapulted himself into contention with the likes of Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins for the Sports Personality of the Year award, but he will not even be thinking about that right now.

For now, he just needs to let the enormity of his achievement sink in.

Murray has been under so much pressure throughout his career as the 'golden boy' of British tennis and the man to surely end Britain's major drought, and he has finally delivered.

He was always considered too good to go through his entire career without winning a Grand Slam title, and now that weight has been lifted from his shoulders it is just a question of how many more he can win.

Murray has won the last two biggest tournaments and will be full of confidence in the closing months of 2012 and the opening of 2013, so many more magic moments should await for him.

He will again have to overcome three of the greatest players of all-time to triumph, but he now knows he can do it and he deserves to stand alongside these legends of the game, so why shouldn't he be full of belief this is the first of many?

A lot has been said of the legacy London 2012 will have. Perhaps the first example came at Flushing Meadows yesterday.

Murray clearly gained so much belief he could beat the best after his triumph at the Olympics - a belief which has now carried him to his first major title.

That should in turn inspire more youngsters to take up tennis, and, who knows, this time in 20 years we may be talking about multiple British players who have won major titles.

Murray has got the ball rolling to end a staggering British summer of sport in which the feel good factor has been never-ending.

We will never see another festival of sport like it and Murray provided a fitting climax by ending Britain's huge wait for a major winner.

History has been made to end a summer of history-making.

The positivity surrounding British sport lives on and Andy Murray has created one of the greatest moments of 2012. This summer will never be forgotten.