Andy Murray Leapfrogs Roger Federer To Go Second In World Rankings

Andy Murray has jumped above Roger Federer in the men’s tennis world rankings after beating David Ferrer to win the Sony Open title.

The 25-year-old Scot, who will regain his number two spot when the new rankings are published Monday, beat Spaniard Ferrer 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in a brutally humid final. The tournament win was Murray‘s second title in the Miami tournament and his ninth Masters title.

It was a rocky road to victory for Andy Murray, who lost the first five games and saved a match point on a Hawk-Eye call.

Both players visibly struggled in the intense heat of Sunday’s final, producing a surprising 14 breaks of serve. Speaking to BBC Sport, Murray remarked:

“It was such a tough match. It could have gone either way, both of us were struggling physically at the end. It’s so tough against him. He has a great attitude, he’s a great fighter. I am sure we will have more tough matches in the future.”

When asked about the match point he managed to save thanks to his Hawk-Eye challenge, Murray said:

“That’s the beauty of the challenge system; in some matches that would have been over but luckily it just dropped in. I just managed to fight well in the end. They were incredibly difficult conditions, very windy, extremely humid and hot. I served poorly and if I’d served better, I could have made things easier for myself. That’s something I’ll need to do better during the clay season.”

Andy Murray previously reached the number two ranking in 2009, but stayed there for only three weeks; the Scot will hope to hold the position for longer this time, as he attempts to eat into the convincing lead of world number one Novak Djokovic.

Sunday’s win was Murray’s first at the elite Masters level since he beat Ferrer in Shanghai at the end of 2011. Since then, he has clinched Olympic gold in London (beating Federer in a one-sided final) and his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2012.