ANDY MURRAY must just about be getting sick of the sight of Novak Djokovic.

For the fifth time in a grand slam final, Murray’s hopes of winning one of the sport’s biggest prizes were dashed by the all-conquering Serb, whose 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win here yesterday etched his name into the history books.

Not only was it his first French Open title, a feat that means he joins an exclusive club of men to win all four grand slams in their career, but it was also his fourth consecutive grand slam victory, something last done by Rod Laver in 1969.

That was the year man walked on the moon for the first time and if winning all four slams in a row is not quite the same thing, it is still a hell of an achievement.

For Murray, it was an eighth defeat in 10 grand slam finals, a fifth to Djokovic and a result that means he now holds the unfortunate record of having finished runner-up at Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open and here.

As Murray contemplated his misfortune last night to be playing in the same era as three of the greatest players of all time [including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal], he took solace in another fortnight of good work and another step forward, even if the disappointment will linger for a while.

“I'm very disappointed,” said Murray, who was the first British man since Bunny Austin in 1937 to reach the final in Paris.

“At points I did well. But I would have liked to have served better. In the first set I was serving better. I was able to dictate a few more of the points; whereas when you're hitting second serve you're more often on the back foot and spend more time defending.”

When Murray dropped serve to love in the opening game, with Djokovic looking immediately in the groove, things looked ominous.

But victory over Djokovic recently in the Rome final gave Murray belief and he hit straight back, before a brilliant lob gave him a 3-1 lead.

The crowd crammed into Court Philippe Chatrier were overwhelmingly in the Serb’s corner but Murray held firm, extending his lead to 5-2 with a solid hold.

After Djokovic held for 5-3, Murray led 15-0 when he hit a serve that was called out, over-ruled by the umpire and then, as Djokovic protested, the point was given to Murray because the world No 1’s return had gone long.

Howls and jeers rang around the stadium as Djokovic and his legions of fans felt, perhaps legitimately, that they had been wronged, but Murray held his nerve to serve out for the set, fist-pumping with delight.

At that stage, things looked good but Djokovic is never more dangerous than when behind and having felt wronged, he bounced back immediately, after saving a break point in the first game of the second set.

Suddenly, his intensity was back, he began attacking the Murray second serve and belting returns to within millimetres of the baseline.

It was all too much for Murray, whose serve lost its rhythm, to cope with and Djokovic ripped through the second and third sets and stormed ahead 5-2 in the fourth set, one game from history.

“I was a little bit unlucky on that break point because he got a bad, bad bounce on that break point,” Murray said.

“After that, obviously in the second set he started to free up a little bit more and got the break immediately after that. He probably started hitting the ball a little bit better.

“There are always changes in momentum and ups and downs throughout the best of five set matches. Unfortunately I couldn't capitalise on that chance. Maybe that would have changed things a little bit.”

It was only at 5-2 in the fourth set that Djokovic blinked and Murray, to his enormous credit after being mauled for two sets, hit back, breaking and holding to reduce the deficit to 5-4, only for Djokovic to scramble over the line.

“The problem was it was such a long way behind by that stage,” Murray said.

“Obviously when you're trying to do something for the first time and you've not experienced it before, that can throw you off and give you a few extra nerves.

“In that game I was close to making it I think very interesting, but he did well to finish it at the end.”

As for Djokovic, who drew a heart on the clay after asking the permission of Gustavo Kuerten, the man who did it first, back in 2001, he was ecstatic at the enormity of his achievements.

“There are not many words that can describe it [holding all four grand slams],” he said.”It's one of the ultimate challenges that you have as a tennis player.

“I'm very proud, very thrilled, but it's hard for me to reflect. I'm just so overwhelmed with having this trophy next to me that I'm just trying to enjoy this moment. It’s one of the best moments of my career, maybe the best of all.”