MADRID, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- British tennis player Andy Murray won on Sunday the final of Masters Series in Madrid, after defeated French Gilles Simon at 6-4 and 7-6.

    Murray, ranking the fourth in the world and being favorite for this final, had a fierce fight with Simon, who in several moments of the encounter, attacked with strikes of great assuredness.

    Murray beat Swiss Roger Federer on Saturday and on Sunday won for the first time the Masters Series of Madrid, with an award of 360,000 euros (486,000 US dollars), while Gilles Simon, who kicked Rafael Nadal out of the final and obtained for his pass to the final, will gain 180,000 euros (243,000 US dollars).

    With this triumph Murray kept the fourth place in the world classification, while Simon placed himself for the first time in his carreer among the top ten places of the world.

British tennis player Andy Murray returns the ball to French Gilles Simon during the final match at the Masters Madrid in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 20, 2008