Andy Murray today became the Olympic tennis men's singles champion when he thrashed Roger Federer in straight sets.

Exactly four weeks since his defeat at Wimbledon, the Scot returned to the same venue and crushed the world no. 1 by 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. At one point, he won 10 games in a row.

A fiercely partisan and unusually noisy crowd on Centre Court clearly helped the Team GB player, and discomfited Federer, who appeared out of sorts until his final two service games.

But that should not detract from Murray's power play, as he dominated a match he later described as "the biggest win of my life".

For Murray, it was Team GB's 16th gold medal of the games and his country's first men's singles title since 1908; for Federer, it was his heaviest ever defeat at the All England Club.

The 25-year-old from Dunblane received his gold medal and grinned as he sang the national anthem, the tears that marked last month's defeat long forgotten.

Earlier, he sank to his knees in the moment of victory then climbed into the family box to embrace girlfriend Kim Sears and proud mother Judy.

He said: "It's number one for me - the biggest win of my life."

Rain hit SW19 this morning, and the now well-used centre court roof was on as Serena and Venus Williams took gold in the women's doubles, defeating Czech pair Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova.

It was removed just before Murray's match, revealing blue skies and bright sunshine and prompting cheers from the crowd. As the Scot walked on to centre court today, he was greeted by roars and thunderous applause, and a mixture of Union Flags and Saltires. As Murray and Federer warmed up in the sunshine, shouts of  "come on Andy" and "come on Murray" echoed around the court.

Murray later said he took inspiration from the crowd and British success in the Olympic Stadium last night.

"They were unbelievable, it's not just here but all of the events I've watched. I watched the athletics last night and it was amazing.

"The way Mo Farah won... I do 400m repetitions in my training and when I'm completely fresh I can run it in 57 seconds and his last lap after 9,600m was 53 seconds. It's just unbelievable fitness.

"It gave me a boost coming into today. The momentum the team's had the last couple of days has been so good."

Murray admitted the achievement had surprised even him. "I didn't expect that at the start of the week," he said. "I had a chance of going deep into the tournament [but] I was a little bit tired after Wimbledon, and playing the mixed as well.

"But I felt so fresh. On the court today I didn't really feel nervous at all apart from at the beginning of the match."

Murray felt his victory was the perfect way to recover from his Wimbledon disappointment.

"It's worth it," he said. "I've had a lot of tough losses in my career. This is the best way to come back. I'll never forget it."

Federer, who had been seeking to add the Olympic title to his existing record for a "golden career slam" was gracious in defeat, admitting that Murray had outplayed him.

Reaction

Loyal fans in Murray's home town of Dunblane gathered together to watch him be crowned Olympic champion. About 60 people at the Dunblane Centre burst into applause and jumped off their seats as Murray hit his winning ace.

Gemma Greer, centre manager, said: "People from the local area who have followed him for years were here today. You could have heard a pin drop before that last point, but as soon as he hit it the place erupted and the huge cheer here when he was presented with his gold medal was absolutely brilliant.

"Some of these people were sat here in the same place exactly four weeks ago, but it wasn't to be then. We have always been very proud of him and today he has shown just what he is capable of."

In the bar of the Dunblane Hotel, the regular Murray watchers were enjoying their moment of celebration.

Barman Ryan Greig said: "There weren't as many people in watching as there was at the Wimbledon final but we still had quite a few here and they made a pretty loud cheer at the end. It was actually when he got his medal that we heard the loudest noise. He's an Olympic champion now, good on him.

"Everyone is talking about the gold post box. We're all looking forward to it and everyone is trying to guess which one is going to be painted, debating which one it will be."

First Minister Alex Salmond joined the messages of congratulations, calling his success an "epic achievement".

"Andy Murray played the match of his life on the biggest stage of all against the best player in tennis history," he said.

"This gold medal marks Murray's arrival as a contender to be the world's number one. To beat Djokovic and Federer is an epic achievement. To demolish Federer in an Olympic final is breathtaking.

"It's a Murray masterclass which should make everyone in Scotland extremely proud."

Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland, was at Wimbledon to watch Murray take the gold medal.

He said: "It's difficult to think of a better conclusion to an astounding sporting weekend for Team GB at the Olympics.

"After all the drama and medals of yesterday, seeing Andy take the fight to Federer with such intensity was remarkable to watch. He has proven without any doubt that he is at the pinnacle of his sport and a great Olympian.

"His skill and spirit today made him unbeatable. Being part of the crowd cheering him on alongside a rising Scottish tennis star, Anna Brogan, was a great privilege. Today once again shows just how much the Olympics have caught the public's imagination across the UK and beyond."