Relief for Murray after breaking grand slam duck
There was one word that summed up for Andy Murray the realisation of a dream that he feared may never come – relief.
The Scot defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (12/10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in the US Open final on Sunday night to finally win his first grand slam title at the fifth time of asking.
It was somehow fitting that the match was a rollercoaster, mirroring the journey Murray has taken to get here, as at one stage he looked poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The 25-year-old said: “It was an incredibly tough match and obviously it felt great at the end. Relief is probably the best word I would use to describe how I’m feeling just now.
“I’m very, very happy that I managed to come through because if I had lost this one from two sets up, that would have been a tough one to take.
“I was still doubting myself right up to a few minutes before going on to play the match. It’s something I have never done before. I have been in this position many times and not managed to get through.
“I am just so relieved to finally have got there and I can put this one behind me and hopefully win more.
“I think just proving to myself is probably the most pleasing part about tonight, because there were times when I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it.”
