From the Scottish lowlands to the pinnacle of world tennis is quite some trip -- one involving lots of planes, trains and automobiles, and thats even before you get to the miles on the court and on the dreaded VersaClimber.Or, to be a little more precise, its going from the artificial grass courts of Dunblane to becoming the first British man to hold the No. 1 singles ranking.But Andy Murrays Scottishness, or Britishness, isnt even the most interesting part of his elevation in status.Whats so compelling about Murray transformation into the alpha-dog of the courts -- from Monday morning he will officially be the best tennis player on the planet -- is the era in which he has accomplished it.Also marvel at the stage at which he has achieved this feat, just six months before he turns 30, a birthday which not so along was supposed to signal the beginning of end for a tennis player.For both those reasons -- the company he has been keeping, and becoming the oldest first-time No. 1 in his own lifetime -- Murrays ascent to top of the rankings should be seen as the ultimate act of perseverance. Murray is the 26th man to have held this office, but have any of the previous 25 toiled like he has?There couldnt have been a less fitting way for Murray to reach the top -- without having to swing a racket after Milos Raonics withdrawal from their semifinal at the Paris Masters.Clearly, anyone who elevates himself to the No. 1 ranking has achieved something extraordinary, and that even applies to those who have done so during a thin era, of which there have been a few.So to have propelled himself to the top in the same age as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal makes Murrays achievement all the greater, even if Federer and Nadal are plainly still no longer at the peaks of their playing powers.Such has been the competition from that trio over the years, many others would have wilted or folded along the way. But Murray hasnt.Remember some sniffed that there wasnt really a Big Four in tennis, only a Big Three and a Half. Well, you dont hear much from them now after the year Murrays had -- winning Wimbledon for the second time, retaining his Olympic title and putting himself at the top of the tennis tree.So Murray, at the age of 29 and a half, becomes the oldest first-time No. 1 since Australias John Newcombe held the position in 1974. Murray might say that this promotion has come a little earlier than expected -- he had thought his best chance would be in February or March next year when he wont have many points to defend -- but his rise has hardly been fast-tracked. For years, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have blocked his path. Well, for no longer.Nothing has come easily to Murray. Not winning Grand Slam titles, with a run of defeats in finals before he scored his first. And not making the jump from No. 2 in the rankings to No. 1. Consider that Murray was just 22 years old when he first held the No. 2 ranking. Has he been deterred? Hardly. Instead he has shown even greater levels of resilience and perseverance, and displayed even larger appetites for self-improvement and hard toil.Just to make this moment even more special for Murray, this completes a family double after his older brother held the doubles world No. 1 ranking earlier in the year. This hasnt happened before, with one brother achieving the top doubles ranking and the other going all the way to the summit in singles. Cheap Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Cheap Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.cheapworldseriesjerseys.com/cheap-chicago-cubs-jerseys/ . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Cheap Atlanta Braves Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Cheap Los Angeles Angels Jerseys . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. There was not one single complaint from the boxer, corner, promoter or crowd when Anthony Crolla dropped a tight decision and lost his WBA lightweight title to Jorge Linares in Manchester on Saturday night.Crolla fought the fight of his life and when the final bell sounded he could barely walk or talk, so total was his commitment and draining his exhaustion. It was an odd end, strangely muted considering the closeness of two of the three judges: all three voted in favour of Linares, one of boxings surest operators, and two separated the fighters by just one and two points respectively. It was close, but in many ways it was not even remotely close and that only happens when the best fight the best.It was mesmerising at times watching the brilliant Linares think his way out of corners, counter punch with such speed that trying to count the shots is nearly impossible to the human eye. Crolla, who was defending his WBA lightweight title, kept the first 10 rounds close with a bold performance aimed at breaking the spirit of Linares. It was a good plan but Linares was brilliant, the fighter with all the gifts in front of a sing-a-long crowd led in appreciation, and worship of Crolla from ringside, by Wayne Rooney and Ricky Hatton.There was talk of a rematch in February or March next by Eddie Hearn, the promoter who has guided Crolla from boxings obscure fringes to main attraction at the No. 1 fight venue, but that result is easily foretold: Linares would win again, sorry to report. Crollas chance of beating the Venezuelan was in this fight when he had momentum.Linares had been out of the ring for 11 long months with an injured hand and the home crowd would play their part. There was simply nothing more Crolla could hhave done and he can shake off his stiffness this week with pride.ddddddddddddThe fight with Linares, a world champion at three weights, was a huge risk for Crolla and its announcement put an end to all talk of a partial unification with WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan. The Flanagan fight was draped in plenty of cash -- there was an offer of ￡700,000 for Crolla from Flanagans promoter, Frank Warren -- and perhaps Crollas thinking was that beating Linares would increase his financial power at the negotiating table for a Flanagan fight in the future. That advantage has gone, but the fight remains.The defeat now means that in three consecutive September Saturdays five British boxers have lost in world title fights, three were stopped and two lost their world titles, which reduces the total number of British boxers currently holding a version of the world title to 11. The figure, still a record high, includes welterweight Kell Brook, who looks unlikely to ever make the limit again after his trip to middleweight to fight Gennady Golovkin.Hearn, however, was right when he added: It shows the world that British boxers are not afraid to take big fights; they have all dared to be great -- Kell (Brook), Liam (Smith) last week in Texas and Ant tonight. They all went for big fights.Before the end of November Anthony Joshua, Ricky Burns, Tony Bellew, Billy Joe Saunders, Flanagan and a couple of other British world champions will try and defend their titles and end the losing sequence. They will not all succeed, but it is doubtful if any will lose with as much dignity and pride as Crolla. Chiefs Jerseys China Cheap Nike Chargers Jerseys Cheap Nike Raiders Jerseys Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys China Cheap Nike Giants Jerseys Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Redskins Jerseys China Cheap Nike Lions Jerseys Packers Jerseys China Cheap Vikings Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Panthers Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Saints Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike Buccaneers Jerseys Cardinals Jerseys China Cheap Rams Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Nike 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys China Bears Jerseys China Cheap Nike Bills Jerseys Ravens Jerseys China Wholesale Falcons Jerseys China ' ' '