Andy Murray proved last night he is ready to become a Grand Slam champion as he landed the biggest title of his career by defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 in the Cincinnati Masters Final.

The British No1 will now be among the favourites to win the US Open after claiming his first triumph in the Masters, one of the highest-ranked tournaments outside the four Slams. Murray needed six match points to finally beat the world No3 and it took two hours and 22 minutes of gruelling tennis in searing heat to allow him to celebrate a massive win.

Murray said: "It was a huge relief to win the title having had those match points and I did get nervous but I hung in there and played well.

"It was tough for both of us with the temperatures reaching 104F and your legs burn. They were some of the hottest conditions I'd played in and a third set in that heat could have been pretty ugly.

"I just kept fighting and I am more confident about competing with the top players now. This is huge win for me because I have played five days in a row and come through some tough matches and with Toronto, I have been competing for eight or nine days in a row and that means a lot to me."

Murray today reached a career high No6 in the rankings, a position he needs to hold onto to ensure the best possible draw opportunities at the US Open, which is played on the same hard court surface that allowed the Scot to register this vital victory.

After lifting the trophy, Murray then headed towards Beijing for the Olympics, where he will be competing in the singles and with brother Jamie in the doubles.

With this win, Roger Federer's lapse in form, Rafael Nadal (the new No1) having problems with blisters and Djokovic losing successive high-profile matches to Murray, there is every reason to expect the Briton to be a serious force in China.

Then comes the US Open, starting on 25 August, where Murray announced himself as a player of outstanding promise when he won the Boy's title and now - four years later - he is in a small group of players who are capable of grabbing the final Grand Slam this year.

The Cincinnati tournament has seen a dramatic change in the normal order of things. Federer has slipped down to No2 when the rankings come out on 18 August, Nadal is now the top player in the world, while Murray is charging up the ratings to put himself in with a great chance of making the top five.

That is where Djokovic has become a permanent fixture this year following his Australian Open title.