Raonic match one of the hardest, claims exhausted Murray

Murray frequently looked exhausted but dug into his seemingly-endless well of fighting spirit to win a stand-out match at an event that has been starved of such encounters. And he did it, rather easily.

“It wasn’t really until the middle of the second set when the rallies started to get extended and longer that my legs were starting to feel it”.

Two match point came and went at 5-4 but Murray’s coronation as the world’s best began when Djokovic floated a return wide on the third. This one was a big match and I managed to get over the line.

Murray’s hold on the top spot he wrestled off Djokovic this month seemed to be loosening when an inspired Raonic took the opening set and broke early in the second. Djokovic served out his game in love, and narrowed score to 3-4.

“I’m exhausted”, Murray said. “From the very beginning we could see that”. The pair were close enough in the rankings that it was a shootout to determine who was the best player on the planet.

Djokovic made some key errors in the first set, missing what would otherwise have been routine shots for the Serb; those found their way into the net. “He is the best player and deserved to win”, Djokovic said.

“He played the better tennis in the decisive moments”.

Milos Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach a grand slam final.

He took over the top spot on November 7 after winning his eighth title of the season at the Paris Masters.

“It’s a very special day”, said Murray.

“Obviously that helps when you a playing a top player”. Sixteen years ago, Gustavo Kuerten beat Andre Agassi to give the Brazilian the top ranking ahead of Marat Safin.

With two hours and 20 minutes on the clock, this was already another epic, and Murray had to fight through the fatigue again to save two more break points in the second game of the decider. He later lost to Stan Wawrinka in the U.S. Open final. This has never happened in the history of tennis.

“I felt exhausted. I didn’t feel great this morning, just a bit sluggish, a bit heavy-legged”, he said.

Djokovic, who came into the tournament on his worst run of form for several years, certainly has the spark back and demolished Kei Nishikori 6-1 6-1 in just an hour and six minutes. Murray won the first match point, but Djokovic saved it. Murray won the second match point and closed the match.

Murray had to dig very deep before a three-set win over Milos Raonic with the match ending 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in favour of the Briton while Djokovic absolutely thrashed Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1 to set up the mouth-watering final.