LONDON — After reveling in a rousing Olympic summer of sporting success, Britain awoke Tuesday to another major milestone: Finally, after 76 years of waiting, the country has a male Grand Slam tennis champion. Andy Murray's five-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final provided the perfect bookend to a summer in which a British rider won the Tour de France and British athletes scooped heaps of medals at the hugely successful London Olympics and Paralympics. After losing in four previous Grand Slam finals, Murray outlasted defending champion Djokovic 7-6 (10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 after nearly five hours to become the British man to win a Slam since Fred Perry captured the Wimbledon and the US Championships in 1936. At last, for Britain, the “Fred Perry curse” has been broken — although until Murray wins Wimbledon, it won't be fully put to rest. “Thank God that's over. Thank God we can let Fred Perry lie easy. Thank God for Andy Murray,” wrote the Guardian newspaper website. Fittingly, Murray's breakthrough came in a year when Britain has enjoyed its greatest sports summer of a generation — coinciding with national celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's “Diamond Jubilee” of 60 years on the throne. In a message posted on Twitter, Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “delighted Andy Murray is continuing a golden summer of sport by winning the US Open. A truly great victory.” Murray's victory came on the exact day — Sept. 10 — that Perry won the US title in 1936. It also came in Murray's fifth Grand Slam final, following in the footsteps of his coach, Ivan Lendl, who lost in his first four Grand Slam finals before going on to win eight major titles. With both men struggling to control the ball in the gusting winds, and battling exhaustion in a slugfest that tied the record as the longest final at Flushing Meadows, Murray emerged triumphant, proving he belongs among the game's elite. “I proved that I can win the Grand Slams,” Murray said. “And I proved that I can last four-and-a-half hours and come out on top against one of the strongest guys physically that tennis had probably seen, especially on this surface. “(I learned) to not doubt myself physically and mentally from now on. I'm sure that would have a positive impact in the future.” After losing the first two sets, Djokovic suddenly raised his game to win the next two and force a deciding fifth set, seizing the momentum as Murray started to wilt. But as Murray's supporters, including actor Sean Connery and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, shifted uneasily in their seats, the Olympic champion regained his composure and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the final set before hanging on to seal an emotional victory. “It was an incredibly tough match and obviously it felt great at the end,” Murray said, adding that the word “relief” was foremost in his mind. The end of the match came too late for many British newspapers, but Murray's triumph made some late editions. “History Boy!” blared the tabloid Daily Mirror on the front page. On the sports pages, the Mirror launched a campaign for a Murray knighthood: “Arise Sir Andy: Grand Slam Glory at Last. Oh What a Knight.” Former British player Greg Rusedski said Murray can only go higher. “Having won this, he can go on to win many majors and maybe end the year as ... No. 1,” he said. Murray is currently ranked No. 4 but is close behind No. 3 Rafael Nadal. Djokovic is No. 1 in this week's rankings, with Federer dropping to No. 2. Sportsmanship awards US Open men's doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan and 2011 women's champion Samantha Stosur are the first recipients of the Grand Slam tennis tournament's sportsmanship award. The US Tennis Association announced the honors Monday. The USTA sportsmanship award comes with a $5,000 donation to the charity of the winner's choice. — Agencies
