Murray fails in bid for first Grand Slam title

An amazing down-the-line return by Novak Djokovic to make it 3-1 in the third set must have told Andy Murray that the game was up. The Serbian player was already two sets up and looking increasingly dominant in the Australian Open final.

Murray kept fighting, but Djokovic was too strong on the day and at 11.20 UK time this morning he won the match when Murray hit the net with the tamest of forehands.

Murray had hoped to win his first ever Grand Slam title, making him the first Briton since Fred Perry in 1936 to take a major title, and the first Scot ever to do so. It was not to be.

Commentators were quick to say that Djokovic deserved the title. "I have never seen balls come back like this from impossible positions," said BBC commentator and former British player John Lloyd.

"Djokovic played better from the start and Andy was always trying to catch up," said Boris Becker. ·