ANDY MURRAY [12] bt Richard Gasquet [8] 5-7 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-4, 4th Round Wimbledon

They weren't sure about renaming Henman Hill for new British hope Andy Murray. A few options were dished around but nothing stuck (including Murray Mound, Mount Murray and Murrayfield). It didn't help when he famously replied to a question during The 2006 Championships as to who he wanted to win the ongoing Football World Cup: "anybody but England". But two years is a long time in tennis. First he claimed he was a quarter English (due to some English grandmother or something). Then he said he couldn't hate the English because his girlfriend was English and to add special effect, he illustrated his love for England by explaining how he now lived in London, with an English girlfriend and how much he loved his English nan. The English public didn't quite buy into it. A few did, but not everybody. And then today happened. Two sets down. Two points away from getting knocked out. Centre Court. A history of never winning a match from two sets down. A match in which he had yet to break Gasquet's serve. Fading light. Fatigue. The odds were stacked against him. But the crowd got behind him. The rest is history. The shot that won the 3rd set tiebreak was nothing short of phenomenal. It alone would be worth paying for. The Frenchman cut a forlorn figure and never quite recovered. One seriously wonders when the abundantly talented fella with possibly the strongest single-handed backhand in the men's game is ever going to fulfil his potential. I started the match hoping he would win, but after reading about and watching Murray's stunning comeback victory, it's hard to not want him to go all the way. I doubt he'll even take a set off Nadal, but it doesn't hurt to dream. 15,000 people were lucky enough to witness a hero-in-the-making. It's Andy's first Grand Slam Q/F and there couldn't be a better stage to achieve it. Until now they said that if he won he was British, but if he lost he was Scottish. Not anymore. Andy Murray is the new Tim Henman. Henman Hill is history. May the Andymonium go on! [MATCH REPORT]

London Trivia by Mark "the Trivia King" Mason (author of The Importance of Being Trivial)

Q: What bit of trivia sounds made-up but turns out to be true? (from an interview in thelondonpaper)
A: If you stand at the bottom of Big Ben with a radio & listen to the chimes on Radio 4, you hear them on radio before you hear them for real, because radio waves travel at the speed of light, which is faster than the speed of sound. I stood at Big Ben with a radio & it's true!

TRIVIAL LINKS:
--The Importance of Being Trivial: In Search of the Perfect Fact by Mark Mason, published 26 June 2008 (Amazon)
--Trivia Really Is Very Important, You Know by Mark Mason, dated 25 June 2008 (The Spectator, a British political magazine)

Britain's Hottest Day of the Year (so far...)

Temperatures reached a sweltering 28.2*C this afternoon.