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. Vladimir Guerrero Angels Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Ty Buttrey Angels Jersey . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. https://www.cheapangels.com/643j-ty-buttrey-jersey-angels.html . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Mike Witt Jersey . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Brian Downing Angels Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. TOKYO -- Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani says he could move to the major leagues after the 2017 season.The 22-year-old right-hander, who has also put up big numbers at the plate, signed a $2.37 million contract for next season with the Nippon Ham Fighters on Monday.Otani will not become eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season and will need the Fighters approval to negotiate with a major league club through the posting system before that time.He says we discussed the possibility of me going. ... The club will respect my wishes whenever I decide I want to go.Otani went 10-4 as a pitcher and batted .322 with a career-high 22 home runs this season for the Fighters.New rules in MLBs collective bargaining agreement make it more difficult for players like Otani to get paid big bucks right away. But there is a definite curiosity about his abilities, even from those who havent seen him play much.I dont know which side youre worried about more: his ability to pitch or hhit, former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said.dddddddddddd Hopefully he stays healthy because hes an addition whatever league he winds up with, whether he stays in Japan or comes to the U.S. hes certainly going to be an exciting player for people to look forward to watching.Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was reluctant to talk about Otani because hes under contract in Japan. But hes intrigued about Otanis ability to pitch and hit.We have reports on him, Dombrowski said. Do I think a player could be a two-way player? Yeah, it could happen. It is very difficult? Yes. But Im not saying that theres not a player out there that cant do that because some of them are rare, rare guys. Babe Ruth could do it. He was pretty good. So it can be done.---AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in Oxon Hill, Maryland, contributed. ' ' '