by Dan Bickley - Aug. 5, 2012 04:19 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

WIMBLEDON, England -- The old scouting report on Great Britain was simple: Put its athletes on a bike or in a boat, and they're dangerous. They have a knack for sports that require sitting down.

But give them Olympic home-field advantage, and it's bloody hell.

Andy Murray became the latest toast of London, demolishing the great Roger Federer on Sunday with shocking ease (6-2, 6-1, 6-4) in the men's tennis final. The triumph carried great personal significance.

It marked the long-awaited breakthrough for Murray, who is 0 for 4 in grand slam finals. It atoned for his loss to Federer on Centre Court just four weeks ago, where Murray's tearful concession speech turned him into a sympathetic figure.

How often does one get a second chance so quickly?

But there is a much bigger story in play. Murray's triumph came less than 24 hours after Great Britain's greatest day ever in the Olympics. Three track stars won gold medals, turning a Saturday evening into a massive Brit party, a night when BBC commentators gushed like unabashed homers.

Pubs were crammed. In one of them, a viewer was transfixed with the medal count on the screen, beaming with national pride that Great Britain was actually in third place, behind China and the U.S.

That energy was the story at Wimbledon, where Federer seemed to wilt under its force, where the Brits couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I watched the athletics last night, and it was unbelievable ... it gave me a boost coming into today," Murray said. "The momentum the team's had the last couple of days has been good."

Originally posted here:
London's local success in Olympics raises question: When does U.S. want back in?