Victory for Murray at Montreal

Andy Murray fought back to beat Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The Scot looked set for defeat after Del Potro took the first set, the first Murray had lost all week.

Del Potro continued to look formidable, and his heavy forehands were proving devastating, but his level dropped once Murray won the second set tie-break, and the man who will be confirmed as the new world number two tomorrow completed a 6-7 (7/4) 7-6 (7/3) 6-1 victory.

It gave him a fifth title of 2009, matching Rafael Nadal for most tournament victories.

Twelve months ago there might have been tension between the pair, following an incident in Rome where Murray accused Del Potro of insulting his mother, Judy.

However they resolved their differences after Murray beat Del Potro in the US Open quarter-finals last September, so this was simply a showdown between two outstanding hard-court players, and it proved a memorable occasion.

Del Potro had knocked out Nadal in the quarter-finals, proving too strong for the Spaniard who was playing competitively for the first time since relinquishing his French Open title in Paris back in early June.

He had then eliminated Andy Roddick in the last four, to stretch his winning streak to 10 matches, after winning in Washington DC last week.

Del Potro took the first set on a tie-break, after neither player dropped serve. He claimed a vital mini-break on the ninth point of the tie-break, and served out.

Murray broke the Del Potro serve in the opening game of the second set, but the advantage did not last. Del Potro broke back instantly, and then held serve.

The way he swatted away a difficult cross-court forehand to win the fifth game of the set was indicative of his confidence. But the set remained on serve, and it was not so easy to sway Murray away.

Another tie-break loomed and, after an early exchange of mini-breaks, Murray took charge of it to level the match.

Murray dominated the opening four games of the deciding set, winning each of them, before Del Potro, who had looked a beaten man, hit back briefly by breaking Murray to 15.

The fightback was short-lived though, as Murray won the next two games to complete a stunning victory, and improve his record against Del Potro to four wins in five meetings.

Murray said after his victory: "I feel like I've got a good chance of doing well at the US Open, but each week is a different week, and I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself. I'll just focus on Cincinnati."

Asked to assess which meant more to him - winning in Montreal or becoming world number two, Murray added: "I've won a couple of Masters now, so it still feels great, but the number two - maybe because it's something different - that means maybe a little bit more, but winning a tournament here is still great."

Del Potro said: "I have never played a final in the Masters, and the crowd and this tournament and everything, it's so good for me and for my future.

"I'm very happy to be in the final. I lost, but I'm happy. I don't have to think in the past and now see the future."