Roger Federer clinched his fifth successive US Open and a 13th Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 victory over British sixth seed Andy Murray on Monday. The Swiss second seed breezed through the opening set and held off a Murray fightback in the second before wrapping up victory in one hour 51 minutes. Federer, beaten twice by the Briton in their first three career meetings, become the first man since Bill Tilden in 1924 to triumph five times in a row in New York. Federer also moved within one major championship of tying Pete Sampras' career record of 14. Murray, who shocked Spanish world number one Rafael Nadal in four sets in the previous round, had been bidding to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry won the US title in 1936. The victory might have come as a bit of a relief to Federer, who has struggled during a lackluster-only-for-him season. He lost in the semifinals at the Australian Open, and to nemesis Rafael Nadal in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, meaning Federer was on the verge of his first year since 2002 without a major title. But Murray upset Nadal in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows to reach his first Grand Slam final, and Federer had no trouble this time.
