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Andy Murrays drive to seize the world No. 1 ranking over the past six months has been a thing of beauty, and Sunday, it got the happy ending it deserved.Murray won the Paris Masters 1000 title with an artful, gritty 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 win against surprise finalist John Isner.Sometimes after you achieve something big, or something that you maybe didnt expect, it can be quite easy to have a letdown and feel a little bit flat, Murray told the media after the final, a reference to having clinched the No. 1 ranking. I felt really nervous before the match today, and I was happy about that.The win brought closure to a process that breathed new and welcome life into mens tennis in the second half of the year. As recently as June, Novak Djokovics dominance was so comprehensive that pundits were speculating he might complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam since Rod Laver did it in 1969. By the end of October, the roar of Murrays progress was like the rumble of a freight train, drowning out all else -- including the question, Whats wrong with Djokovic?Nobody knows the answer to that question, but we do know whats right with Andy Murray.The 29-year-old Scot, who had been humiliated -- theres no other word for it -- by Djokovic at the peak of his powers in so many Grand Slam finals, never gave up. He never settled for the comfort of being a solid, successful also-ran.It was never enough for Murray to be a Big Four afterthought. He still trails Djokovic 24-10 in the head-to-head, and come early February, the deposed Serb might make Murray pay dearly for this moment of insolence. After all, Djokovic battered Murray into submission in the Australian Open final in four of the past six years.But each time Murray got knocked out, he picked himself up off the canvas and came lurching back for more. In the end, it wasnt Murray who went away. It was Djokovic.Djokovic is 3-1 against Murray this year, and that includes wins in the Australian and French Open finals. A skeptic might argue that were it not for a mysterious loss of focus, motivation, or both, on the part of Djokovic, Murray would not have realized his mission. Or you could argue the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were a great boon to Murray, on the grounds that beating two or even three of the Big Four at the same tournament has always been a bridge too far for him.Theres some truth in those theories. But the on-the-ground reality tells a different story. Although Djokovic was busy evolving as a human being and trying to sort out his desires and goals after completing his career Grand Slam at Murrays expense at the French Open, the Scot sucked it up and soldiered on. He was beaten by Djokovic at Roland Garros despite playing some of the best tennis of his life. Instead of becoming discouraged, Murray won the Queens Club, Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.That trio of wins set him up for the big push, which was marred by only one puzzling loss -- his US Open quarterfinal collapse against Kei Nishikori. After that, Murray won three more tournaments on the trot, including the Shanghai Masters 1000, to set himself up for this critical last week in Paris.Murrays final-round wins in recent months, counting backward from Paris to the French Open, were against Isner, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roberto Bautista Agut, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Martin del Potro and Milos Raonic (twice). His tournament losses were to Nishikori and Cilic. It isnt Murrays fault that Djokovic was unable to make any of the appointments the seedings set up for them.The symbolic value of Murrays win over Isner in Paris is significant, but so is the practical fruit. Murray picked up 400 additional rankings points for winning. They will provide him with a valuable cushion at the ATP World Tour Championships, which begin in London in a weeks time.Thats likely to be helpful to the hard-working new No. 1, who just achieved something he said he maybe didnt expect, but something he surely earned and deserved. Cory Littleton Youth Jersey . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Marshall Faulk Womens Jersey . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Darrell-Henderson-Jersey/ . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. Gerald Everett Youth Jersey . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Clay Matthews Jersey . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!New Jersey DevilsOverall: 51 Title track:?T23 Ownership: 63 Coaching: 51 Players: 49 Fan relations: 45 Affordability: 63 Stadium experience: 50 Bang for the buck: 54 Change from last year: +23The Devils are back on track after a rough 2015 that saw them fall 27 standings spots from two years ago. New Jerseys current status remains lower than it was in 2013 and 14, and a far cry from the elite company they kept following a Stanley Cup finals appearance in 2012, when they ranked 13th overall. Still, theres no question that things are looking up in Newark.Whats goodLets start off of the ice. Under the leadership of first-year GM Ray Shero -- who replaced club icon Lou Lamoriello, now in the same capacity in Toronto, in 2015 -- the Devils made huge strides in terms of mending fences with their fans, who had been stung by the defections of Lamoriello and stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise in recent years. It worked. Fan relations soared 28 spots over 2014-15, and seeing a game at Prudential Center (aka The Rock) became more enjoyable, with stadium experience jumping 25 places. On the rink, the team missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. But the summer arrival of powerful left winger Taylor Hall, acquired from Edmonton in exchange for bluelliner Adam Larrson, has the die-hards optimistic that that streak will soon end.ddddddddddddWhats badTheyre not the Rangers, but its still relatively expensive to be a Devils fan, with affordability ranking in the bottom half of our standings. And New Jerseys benefactors, David Blitzer and Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris, get low marks three years after purchasing the financially troubled club from Jeff Vanderbeek, with ownership also coming in at a dismal No. 63 (along with affordability, the Devils worst rating). The struggles at the gate continue, too, with the Devils finishing in the bottom third of the league in attendance for the 13th season in a row.Whats newHall, still just 24, has the potential to be a franchise player. Jersey-bred right winger Kyle Palmieri is coming off a career year. Goaltender Cory Schneider is among the leagues best. So even with a suspect defensive corps that will miss Larsson, the players ranking leaped 30 spots. And fans love John Hynes coaching: The NHLs youngest boss -- who replaced Adam Oates and three-time Cup-winning-Devils captain Scott Stevens in June of 2015 -- is responsible for a massive 53-spot boost in that category.Next: Philadelphia Flyers?| Full rankings ' ' '