Andy Murray becomes UK’s first male Grand Slam champion in 76 years

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Published time: September 11, 2012 02:47
Edited time: September 11, 2012 15:55

Andy Murray has won the first Grand Slam title of his career and in doing so become the first British man to lay claim an Open title since 1936.

­Murray bested 2011 US Open champion, Novak Djokovic, in five exhausting sets that lasted almost five hours, winning 7-6 (12-10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2.

The 25-year-old Scot finally beat his Serb rival after losing in their previous four encounters.

"Novak is so, so strong. He fights until the end in every single match," Murray said after the match. "I don't know how I managed to come through in the end."

"Great job, you deserve it," Djokovic told his opponent as reported by the New York Times.

Last month Murray also won the men's singles gold at the Olympic gold, after outplaying Roger Federer. Four weeks earlier on the same court, Murray lost the Wimbledon final to Federer. He earned a silver medal in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson.

It had been 76 years since a British man won a Grand Slam singles championship. Fred Perry won Britain's last men's Grand Slam in 1936 at the US Championships, the Open's predecessor.