‘Thanks to my team and my family. This has been an incredible journey for
me to get to the top of the rankings, I could have not done it without all of you’

Andy Murray celebrated his rise to the world number one ranking with a 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4 victory against John Isner to claim his maiden Paris Masters title and his eighth title of the season yesterday.
The Briton, who will take over from Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings today, survived a barrage of aces against the towering American to win his 14th career Masters tournament.
The three-times grand slam champion gave little breathing space to Isner, who was hoping to clinch his first Masters title after two lost finals.
Murray will be the top seed at the season-ending ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena in London from Nov 13-20.
“Thanks to my team and my family who were commenting back home. This has been an incredible journey for me to get to the top of the rankings, I could have not done it without all of you,” said Murray.
The double Olympic champion entered the contest with a 7-0 record against Isner and his recent form, which had helped him to win six of his eight previous tournaments since losing the French Open final, suggested he would have the upper hand.
Murray, who now has 43 titles to his name, broke in the sixth game on his first opportunity when Isner sent a backhand long. The American, who served a total of 18 aces, had two chances to break back in the following game as he opened up a 40-15 lead.
Murray saved the first with a routine volley after managing to lob his 2.08-metre opponent, and forced Isner to bury a backhand into the net on the second.
He bagged the opening set with an unreturned serve having made only four unforced errors. Isner earned three break points thanks to a splendid drop shot followed by a forehand winner. Murray saved them all, the last one with a second-serve ace, and staved off another one to stay level.
In the tiebreak, Isner went 4-2 up when Murray double faulted, and the American closed it out with a booming forehand winner to send the contest into a decider.
Both players looked clumsy but it was Murray who played a tighter game in the end, ending the contest on his first match point when Isner netted a backhand volley.
Murray said he took special pride in reaching the world number one ranking in an era when Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic—arguably some of the greatest players ever—have dominated the game.
“That’s the most satisfying thing, really. It’s been such a difficult thing to do during my career because of how good the guys around me have been, the guys ahead of me,” the Briton said. “It has been really, really hard to do it, been really difficult. Obviously they are three of the best players that have ever played the game.”
Murray was far behind Djokovic after the Serb beat him in the French Open final in June, but an impressive series of victories leading to titles in Wimbledon, Beijing, the Shanghai Masters and Vienna, combined with his rival’s loss in the Paris quarter-finals, propelled him to the top.
“I was so far behind in terms of points, and the amount of matches it would take me to win. I never expected to do what I had done after the French Open, so I was really down after I lost that match,” Murray said. “But things can turn around quick in sport, and it’s just a strange sport. You had Novak losing yesterday to a guy against whom he’d won 14 times in a row. Stuff can turn around quick...”

Five British sports stars who topped the world
Five athletes who became the first Briton to either be ranked first in their sport or win a blue riband title after Andy Murray became men’s world number one on Saturday..

Harold Abrahams (Athletics)
Mention his name and it drums up memories of hit movie ‘Chariots of Fire’. The 25-year-old Abrahams benefited when fellow Briton Eric Liddell refused to compete in the 100 metres at the 1924 Olympics as it was run on a Sunday and that clashed with his religious beliefs. Abrahams’ decision to employ a professional coach Sam Mussabini paid off handsomely as he took gold. He went on to cut a piece off the gold medal to use as his wedding ring in 1936.
Lennox Lewis (Boxing)
Born in England but won Olympic gold for Canada in 1988 as his family moved there when he was 12. However, he switched back and became a British citizen once again, sceptics believing he was using it as a flag of convenience. Whatever he initially won, lost and then regained the WBC title in a bizarre bout with holder Oliver McCall, who started crying in the middle of the contest. Lewis then set his sights on the unified title and after controversially drawing with Evander Holyfield got a deserved rematch and beat him conclusively to become Britain’s first undisputed heavyweight world champion of the post-war era and indeed remains the last undisputed champion to this day.
Nick Faldo (Golf)
Never the most loved of British sportsmen even at home because of what was perceived as rather a humourless personality. He deservedly finally got the world number one slot in the rankings in 1990, taking it off Australian Greg Norman, whom he would memorably steam past to take the Masters in 1996 when the ‘Great White Shark’ suffered a spectacular meltdown. He would be number one on four occasions for a total of 97 weeks, the longest of his stays on top was for 81 weeks.
Angela Mortimer (Tennis)
Britain hasn’t had a women’s number one since the WTA came into being in 1973. However, prior to that the country could lay claim to having the top player in the world in the partially-deaf Mortimer, who steadfastly refused to wear dresses and insisted on shorts. Having won the French Open in 1955 and the 1958 Australian title she reached her peak in 1961 and beat compatriot and favourite Cristine Janes in the Wimbledon final in three tight sets. She won four other titles that year and reached the US Open semi-finals which was enough for her to be credited as the number one women’s player in the world.
Mike Hawthorn (Formula One)
Known to the French as ‘Papillon’ (‘butterfly’ for his penchant for wearing bow ties when he raced) he showed great resilience in carrying on competing after the tragic 1955 Le Mans 24 hour race in which 84 spectators and a driver were killed, partly sparked because of Hawthorn braking on entering the pits. He went on to win that race and three years later was crowned Formula One world champion despite winning just one race as he finished second in the season ending Moroccan race which was enough to seal victory ahead of Stirling Moss, who won four GPs that campaign. Announced his retirement immediately afterwards and was killed in a road accident in January 1959, aged just 29.