You don't have to win to act like a winner

An unshaved and weary Andy Murray sits after the US Open finals match with the elusive winner's trophy in his sight.

But it's not his to hold up - yet. He vows he'll learn from his resounding defeat last evening at the hands of Roger Federer, resisting the urge to blame the fact that he didn't have a day's rest before the match or use other excuses the press dangled before him afterward.

And for that, and his level of play throughout the entire tournament, you have to give Murray a lot of credit. Tennis is a sport that takes a great deal of stamina, not only because of its sprint-like style and the length of the matches, but also because of the players' lack of control over the elements and hence the scheduling of matches at times. Fair or not, it's part of the game that you can play an entire tournament, have it rain and then have to face a fresh opponent like Federer who has won the title umpteen times before.

And when you lose, you muster the grace not to use any of that as an excuse. That requires stamina of a different sort.

The kind only real winners have.