Novak Djokovic was crowned champion of the Mutua Madrid Open after coming through a to-and-fro match with Andy Murray, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in two hours and six minutes of play. The Belgrade native, who reaches a record 29 Masters 1000 titles with the win, is king of the Spanish capital five years after his last win here. This is his second triumph on the Caja Mágica clay.

The 11-time grand slam winner came flying out of the blocks to pull away from the Brit. In just 31 minutes the Serb demonstrated his superiority, hitting 11 winners and creating a solid wall of defence on the baseline. Djokovic, who broke his opponent’s serve twice, only conceded three winners (the man from Dunblane produced three aces).

Against a player who had not lost a set all week, the Scot’s reaction came quickly. Murray, who will lose his status as world number two to Roger Federer this week,  was not about to let go of his crown without a fight. He took a 3-1 lead in the second set before winning it without conceding a break point. The thrilling clash on the Caja Mágica clay was about to go to a third set.

It could have gone either way. Djokovic went ahead early, breaking Murray’s serve (2-0), but the Scot reacted immediately (2-1) and forced the world number 1 to play his best tennis. Andy, who never gave up in his hunt for victory, earned himself no fewer than seven break points when the Balkan was serving for the match. In the end, Djokovic’s persistence paid off and earned him the championship

This is his second title on the Caja Mágica clay, the Balkan again demonstrated his dominance over the rest of the tour, stamping his authority in the Spanish capital. It was the culmination of a glorious week for the player from Belgrade.