No. 3 Andy Murray defeated No. 2 Novak Djokovic to win the 2012 U.S. Open Tennis Championship on Monday evening, 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3. Murray, the runner-up at Wimbledon earlier in 2012, won his first grand slam by beating the defending champion Djokovic.
The match lasted four hours and 54 minutes.
Murray took the first set 7-6(10) in a fairly even contest to start the match. Djokovic managed two aces to just one for Murray, while winning just 37 percent of second-serve points. Djokovic would also find himself falling into the trap that would plague him going into the second set, with 19 unforced errors. The set would break the record, with 22 points in the tie breaker.
The second set was controlled by Murray most of the way, with Djokovic once again hitting 19 unforced errors and struggling yet again (22 percent) on second-serve points. Murray was content to let Djokovic's mistakes undo him rather than force the play himself.
The third set, however, is when it all started to turn around. Djokovic used two of five break points won and a suddenly potent second serve to put Murray on his heels and sieze the momentum, winning easily, 6-2.
Murray attempted to regain control in the fourth set, but Djokovic easily dominated with three aces, 83 percent of first serves in and just nine unforced errors in the set. Murray seemed to be out of control at times in his attempt to stop the building momentum by Djokovic, and the match would go to a fifth set.
The fifth set was all about Murray, however, who finally found a way to close out matches after earning a reputation as a player without a "knockout shot." Murray would take a 3-0 lead, breaking Djokovic in the third game and taking control of the set while the Serbian would eventually start to have troubles with cramping in his right leg.
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