July 9, 2012 - 12:30 AMT
Federer wins record-equaling 7th Wimbledon title

Roger Federer has won a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown this morning, shattering Andy Murray's dream of ending Britain's 76-year wait for an All England Club men's champion, AFP reports.

Federer, playing in his eighth Wimbledon final and 24th Grand Slam championship match, won 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to join Pete Sampras and William Renshaw as a seven-time champion.

The Swiss great, who has also regained the world number one ranking, is just the third man over 30 to win Wimbledon following Rod Laver in 1969 and Arthur Ashe in 1975.

"It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my hero, so it feels amazing," said Federer, whose last Wimbledon title was in 2009 and was without a major since the 2010 Australian Open. "It feels great being back here as the winner. I think I played some of my best tennis in the last couple of matches. I couldn't be more happy."

Murray, 25, bidding to be the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon, has now lost all four Grand Slam finals in which he has appeared.