Murray hits top gear ahead of Olympics with Masters title win
4/8/2008 17:00
Scottish Andy Murray will travel to the upcoming Beijing Games with a
renewed conviction in his game as he claimed his first career Masters title
after defeating Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati event yesterday.
Murray
needed two hours and 22 minutes to claim his second consecutive win in weeks
over the Serb with a grueling 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory.
"I'm taking a lot of
confidence from this win, you expect to get that after winning your first big
tournament, and to do it in a match like today makes it more special," said
Murray, now with three trophies this season.
"I put in a lot of work off the
court to be able to win these sorts of tournaments, and it makes it all
worthwhile."
Last week, Murray changed tactics and beat Djokovic in the
quarterfinals in Toronto, his first career win in five matches against the
21-year-old Serb.
"It's different when you play against an opponent who plays
a similar game with you," Djokovic said. "He was making me do a lot unforced
errors."
"He was playing a lot of slice and changing pace to my forehand. I
just lost the rhythm today."
Murray made fewer errors and put himself in
position to close it out in the second set. Up 5-3, he got four match points and
failed to convert any of them.
Murray then found himself down a break point,
which Djokovic converted after five deuces to climb to 4-5.
The Serb, who had
snapped Rafael Nadal's 32-match unbeaten streak in the semifinals, was unable to
keep consistency against the determined Murray.
Murray, who rose to a
career-best sixth in the world today, will compete in the men's singles and
doubles with his brother Jamie in the August Games.
The Olympic tennis event
will be held between Aug. 10-17.
Xinhua
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