Roger Federer beats Andy Murray to win his seventh Wimbledon

Andy Murray got as close to the Wimbledon championship as any British man had in more than 70 years, but Roger Federer once again is the king of Centre Court.

Federer defeated Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to win his seventh title at Wimbledon, tying Pete Sampras and William Renshaw (who played in the 1880s) for the all-time record in the men's tournament. It's his 17th major title overall, also a record.

Murray had the chance to be the first British champ since Fred Perry in 1936 but fell just short. He tearfully thanked the crowd -- which included Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her sister, Pippa Middleton, in the royal box -- for their support in the post-match ceremony.

The match was delayed for about 40 minutes because of rain. Once the Centre Court roof was closed, Federer broke Murray's serve early in the third set and scored one more break in the fourth on his way to victory.

With the win, Federer also reclaims the No. 1 ranking in the world from Novak Djokovic, whom he beat in the semifinals.