MURRAY derails “Fed Ex” to pocket Gold

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from England

The Wimbledon Championships is the richest plum in world tennis and a much looked forward to event every year. But the London 2012 Olympic Games has produced tennis with a better flavour to the famous All England Club here in Wimbledon in the British capital.

It was nice to see some of the big names in world tennis in action at the 2012 Olympic Games tennis championships worked off at the Wimbledon Arena as its customary muted green tones of the All England Club turned pink and purple for the mega event. It was a great carnival atmosphere at the Wimbledon, more football type than the kind of customary style in tennis.

The celebrations took a great twist as a player from the host nation turned tables and humbled the undisputed king of world tennis. What made Andy Murray's victory over Roger Federer in the men's singles final even more remarkable than the 6-2 6-1 6-4 score line was that it came only four weeks after he had been left tearful on the very same Wimbledon Centre Court by his Wimbledon final defeat against the same opponent.

Murray made the best use of the home advantage and thrilled British fans when he defeated Federer at the 2012 London Olympic Games men's singles final in just under two hours with a stunning straight sets victory.

Murray had taken a beating from the Swiss player at Wimbledon just a month ago in four sets (4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4). The shock wasn’t that he won since the man is a great tennis play, but how he dominated the game with the world no. 1. It was most surprising to see Federer caught off guard by his opponent’s strong return to his dominating serves.

“It's number one for me - the biggest win of my life,” a delighted Murray, the new Olympic champion in tennis, said after his giant-killing performance. Murray took revenge for his Wimbledon finals defeat in style with a greater and the most memorable victory that a tennis player could ever dream of. This time there were tears of joy as Murray swapped grand slam heartbreak for Olympic gold. Murray's home supporters would now expect the world number four to turn his Olympic Games success into a grand slam title, probably at the forthcoming the US Open which starting in two week's time.

It was probably the end of Federer's chances of completing the golden slam of all four grand slam titles and Olympic Games singles gold, although he did not rule out competing at the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, when he will turn 35. The Swiss already has a Doubles gold medal from Beijing Olympic Games 2008 alongside Stanislas Wawrinka and he insisted this silver was hard won rather than the gold lost.

The world number one was undoubtedly compromised in his efforts by his epic semi-final against Juan Martin Del Potro, which he finally won 3-6 7-6 (7/5) 19-17 after four hours and 26 minutes, the longest three-set men's match in the open era. There was redemption for Del Potro when he beat Novak Djokovic to win bronze, Argentina's first medal of the tournament, while in the women's tournament there was only one name that mattered - Williams.

More importantly, Serena Williams, who overcame all before her in the singles, losing only 17 games in six matches and only one in the final to Maria Sharapova.

The 30-year-old Williams did what Federer could not, adding the Olympic Games title to her Wimbledon crown and completing her career Golden Slam. Serena took her history making feat in to women's doubles, teaming up with sister Venus to win a third women's doubles title, giving each sibling four tennis gold medals, more than anyone else ever in history. The men's doubles title was also won by siblings from the United States, this time twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, who added an Olympic gold to their long list of major titles.

Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus accounted for the mixed doubles title, which was reintroduced to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1924. Their great effort prevented Murray going for a second gold with teenager Laura Robson.

It was heartening to see the top tennis players in the world, who mostly play for lucrative cash prizes, play just for Olympic glory which cannot be given a monitory value. Tennis players do not need the Olympic Games for money, prestigious titles or stardom, but they made it plainly obvious how much they wanted those medals. Hence, whoever the gold medallists are at the Olympic Games, the real winner is the games of tennis.

France's Julien Benneteau, who lay flat on his back on Court One with a look of pure joy on his face as he and Richard Gasquet sealed bronze in the men's doubles, won the hearts of many tennis fans.

Meanwhile, the USA grabbed a last-gasp extra-time winner to seal their place in the women's football final for the fifth successive tournament following a 4-3 win over Canada yesterday.

A hat-trick from Canadian captain Christine Sinclair could not prevent American women marching for Thursday's grand final at Wembley Stadium. That match will now be a repeat of last year's World Cup final in which Japan triumphed on penalties following a two-all draw at the end of 120 minutes. Another shoot-out was on the cards at Old Trafford until, in the third minute of injury time at the end of extra time, Alex Morgan sent a looping 10-yard header over goalkeeper Erin McLeod to break Canadian hearts.

Three times John Herdman's team took the lead, but three times they were pegged back to force the additional 30 minutes. Canada grabbed the only goal of the first half courtesy of a superbly-worked 22nd-minute move.

The final of the men's table tennis team event between China and South Korea will be played on Wednesday. In the semi finals, China beat Germany 3-1 while South Korea crushed Hong Kong 3-0. The bronze medal match of the men's team event between Germany and Hong Kong will preside.

The semi finals of the women's hockey tournament will also be played on the same evening as the Netherlands takes on New Zealand while Argentina meets Great Britain on the same evening (8).

LONDON, Tuesday