22 November,2016 08:36 AM IST | | AFP
Murray targets long reign at top of men's tennis after commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Novak Djokovic gives the Scot his first ATP Tours Finals title
Andy Murray holds the trophy after winning the ATP World Tour Finals match against Djokovic in London on Sunday. Pic/AP,PTI
Andy Murray holds the trophy after winning the ATP World Tour Finals match against Djokovic in London on Sunday. Pic/AP,PTI
London: Andy Murray has warned Novak Djokovic he is ready to embark on a sustained period of dominance after the Scot crowned a golden season by finishing on top of the world. Murray produced an imperious display to defeat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 and win the ATP Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena on Sunday.
The 29-year-old's first Tour Finals title came with the hugely significant bonus of ensuring that he remained above Djokovic in the year-end rankings after he knocked the Serb from pole position two weeks ago. Murray can finally claim he is the best player on the planet and he has no intention of relinquishing his grip on that honour without a fight.
"I would like to try and stay there, obviously. It's taken a huge effort the last five, six months to get there," Murray said after his 24th consecutive victory brought him a fifth title in his last five tournaments.
"I'm aware that's going to be extremely difficult because I had a great year this year and I only managed to do it by one match. But now that I've got there, I would be motivated to try and stay in that position," he added.
Murray might be tempted to ask himself if the last 11 months were all a dream. And, with Djokovic stuck in a rut for several months and Federer and Nadal battling with injuries in the twilight of their careers, Murray knows there's a chance for him to add to his three Grand Slam titles.
"The majors are what gets me working hard and what really, really motivates me. When I go away in December to train, I'm training with the Australian Open in mind," he said. "I'd want to try and achieve as much as I can these next few years because I'm not going to be around forever. These next few years, I want to try and make them the best of my career, try and win as much as I can," Murray explained.
