Four weeks to the day after Roger Federer downed him on the same patch of grass at the Wimbledon finals, Britain’s Murray dispatched the Swiss superstar in the Olympic men’s singles final, 6-2 6-1 6-4 to win Olympic gold.
The victory broke a losing streak for British tennis players at the hallowed Wimbledon grounds. Not since Fred Perry in 1936 has a British male won a major contest on the center court here.
While the ecstatic crowd, outfitted in Union Jack bowler hats yelled “An-DEE” (clap, clap, clap), Murray dismembered Federer in straight-sets that were brutal, beautiful, meticulous, and concluded by a pair of whipping aces.
He broke down in tears during a classy speech here just one month ago when he lost to Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon men’s final.
The London cheers were still floating on the wind from another hometown athlete who won a gold medal in sailing earlier, and three track stars winning gold on Saturday. Murray later won a silver medal with his female partner in the mixed doubles final.
(WATCH an interview below, and READ the story, w/ photo, in Time magazine)