Andy Murray Is First British Man to Win Wimbledon in 77 Years

 By 
Sean Fitz-Gerald
 on 
Andy Murray Is First British Man to Win Wimbledon in 77 Years

The 77-year wait is officially over, as No. 2-ranked tennis player Andy Murray on Sunday topped No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win Wimbledon and become the first British man to lift the singles trophy in almost eight decades.

Scotland's Murray, who has now won two of the last three grand slams he's played in (i.e., the 2012 U.S. Open, 2013 Wimbledon) -- as well as last year's Olympic gold -- thwarted Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in a barnburner of a final match on Center Court.

Six-time major winner Djokovic battled hard, with chances in the second and third sets, but Murray proved relentless. Here's a Vine of championship point:

And the ensuing celebration:

Tennis fans also took to Twitter to celebrate:

#Murray climbing into his supporters box. Standing ovation from Centre Court crowd. Embraces Lendl first. #Wimbledon #mensfinal— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2013

#Murray nearly forgets Mum Judy. Goes back for a hug. #Wimbledon #mensfinal— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2013

The circle is now complete, Andy Murray is the master. #wimbledon— Darth Vader (@DepressedDarth) July 7, 2013

Barker: "How much do you remember of that last point?" Murray: "I have no idea what happened." #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3WbfsiHqkP— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) July 7, 2013

Andy Murray helps ease sting of July 4 celebrations with Wimbledon win.— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) July 7, 2013

Love when Twitter experiences something together. The Olympic opening ceremony, Andy Murray winning Wimbledon. Nice to share good times— Zoë W (@thebiglabofski) July 7, 2013

7-up - Murray wins Wimbledon on 7/7. It's been 77 years since a Brit won the title. Last time Brit female (Wade) won: '77. Just saying.— Graham Farmelo (@grahamfarmelo) July 7, 2013

Baaaah Andy Murray just won Wimbledon in straight sets. God that last one was stressful!! HURRAH!!— Amy Sanders (@starsandskates) July 7, 2013

And Andy Murray's Alpine hike over the @ESPN booth to the players' box is one of the great images not just at #Wimbledon but in all sports— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 7, 2013

Never thought I'd see a British man win Wimbledon in my lifetime. And to beat the best in straight sets is awesome from Andy Murray.— talkSPORTDrive (@talkSPORTDrive) July 7, 2013

Curses have no power over those who believe! Congratulations to @andy_murray #wimbledon champion.— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) July 7, 2013

Today Andy Murray was no Djoke. #Wimbledon— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) July 7, 2013

Murray wins Wimbledon. Heroic performance. Overcame Djokovic and the presence of Cameron & Miliband in the Royal Box. Strong work.— The Bugle (@hellobuglers) July 7, 2013

The moment Andy Murray realised he had won Wimbledon [GIF] http://t.co/w6RCdnNCYI via @brocadfael— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) July 7, 2013

Fred Perry was the last British man to win Wimbledon. He won three straight singles titles from 1934 to 1936. (Perry died in 1995, but he has been immortalized in a statue that presently overlooks the grounds at SW19.)

But the newly crowned tennis king Murray, 26, has another cause to celebrate. The tennis player recently talked about his experience in the Dunblane school massacre, which he narrowly escaped in 1996, saying he hopes his success has helped the town to recover from the tragedy.

He reportedly told the crowd after winning: "I understand how much everyone wanted to see a British winner at Wimbledon so I hope you enjoyed it. I tried my best."

The town of Dunblane was watching, supporting him throughout the competition and celebrating (literally in the streets) upon news of Murray's victory:

Dunblane Centre: when @Andy_Murray won pic.twitter.com/Q8xOa1D67Q— Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) July 7, 2013

Dunblane Centre at the moment when @Andy_Murray won pic.twitter.com/r0BBUko8AX— Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) July 7, 2013

DUNBLANE ERUPTS AS ANDY SEELS THE DEAL!!!!! pic.twitter.com/bOZVtfInHZ— Connor Gillies (@ConnorGillies) July 7, 2013

Partying on the streets in Dunblane. Quite literally. pic.twitter.com/yP94SqSpk5— Central FM News (@CentralFMNews) July 7, 2013

Did you catch Murray's history-making performance? What were your favorite moments? Sound off in the comments.

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