Andy Murray punctured Novak Djokovic's air of dominance by beating the out-of-sorts Serb in straight sets in the final of the Italian Open in Rome on Sunday.
Just a week after Djokovic had beaten him in the final of the Madrid Open, the Scot gained his revenge over the world number one in another claycourt final with a superb 6-3 6-3 win in one hour and 35 minutes.
Djokovic was not at his best and in a grumpy mood, complaining on several occasions to the umpire about the slippery court surface on a damp day at the Foro Italico.
He slumped to only his third defeat of the entire season, hitting a couple of errant forehands and a double fault in the final game before Murray conjured up one inspirational backhand winner to lift the title.
No British man had won the Italian title since 1931 and the triumph gives the world number three Murray a major boost before the second of the season's Grand Slams, the French Open, starts next week.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams ended a nine-month title drought with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over Madison Keys in an all-American final.
Williams' previous title came in Cincinnati in August - a month before her attempt at a calendar-year Grand Slam ended with a semifinal loss to Roberta Vinci at the US Open.
"It feels great," Williams said, pointing out that she's only played four tournaments since Cincinnati. "So it's not like I was playing every week. So that's kind of how I look at it. But it feels great to win a title, especially on clay."
Andy Murray blows a candle as he is presented with a birthday cake after beating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in the Italian Open final. — AP
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