Next stop No.1 for Andy Murray

With the gorilla off his back and his place in tennis’s Big Four now secure, Andy Murray has fixed his sights on becoming world No.1.

Eight long years after sparking a wave of British optimism with his victory over Gael Monfils in the US Open junior final, Murray is finally a full-blown grand slam champion.

But the show goes on.

Murray’s nerve-jangling 7-6 (12-10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 win over Novak Djokovic in Monday’s final at Flushing Meadows completed a special year of men’s majors and set up an intriguing battle for the top ranking.

As if scripted by the tennis gods, all four big guns won a slam in 2012, each in either record-setting or fairytale fashion and with every final offering incredible tension and drama.

Djokovic overcame Rafael Nadal in an extraordinary near-six-hour post-midnight thriller at Melbourne Park before the Spaniard turned the tables to deny the Serb a rare grand slam sweep at Roland Garros.

Nadal’s unprecedented seventh French Open final triumph took days either side of a controversial rain delay and, sadly, his battered his knees have yet to recover.

Not to be outdone, Federer and Murray seized the spotlight during a magical grasscourt season.

While Federer stole Murray’s thunder to return to world No.1 with his spellbinding Wimbledon victory, the Scot’s foray to his first final at the All England Club stirred something inside.

A month later, Murray defeated Federer to claim Olympic gold at Wimbledon and suddenly the four-times grand slam final bridesmaid was up, up and away.

His US Open conquest nudged Murray above Nadal to third in the rankings behind Federer and Djokovic, a fair reflection of where the 25-year-old believes he currently stands in the world order of men’s tennis.

Despite his unique Olympic-US Open double, Murray doesn’t consider himself No.1 – not yet anyway.

But breaking the eight-year mortgage on No.1 held by the most dominant triumvirate the game has ever seen is very much in Murray’s plans.

“The last few months have been great for me, but there is more to the tennis tour than just the grand slams.

“Novak has played great tennis in most of the Masters Series as well. Roger has got himself back to No.1.

“It is important to remember the tennis season starts in January, finishes in November.

“I haven’t done as well as I have needed to get to No.1 in the world.

“I would say Novak or Roger would be the best players this year. But there is still a few months left.”

With Federer and Djokovic defending so many rankings points, a strong end to 2011 and an Australian Open title for Murray would just about do the trick.

“All players, once you get near to the top of the game, that’s one of the goals, is to try and get to the world No.1,” Murray said.

“I can’t say this year it’s necessarily possible for me to do it because I didn’t have a particularly good claycourt season and I didn’t do well in the Masters Series in Cincinnati and Montreal and also in Indian Wells … but that is the next step.

“To do that, you need to be consistent throughout the whole year. That’s something that Novak and Roger and Rafa have done incredibly well the last few years.

“They made it very, very difficult for guys to get up there. I’m definitely going to try. It’s something I’d love to do, to get to No.1. It’s a very tough thing to do.”

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