Federer out-guns Murray All the action as it happened

The 18-year-old Murray said: "I feel good - I played a pretty solid match.

"I maybe could have returned a little bit better in the first set but it was always going to be tough.

"It was intimidating playing someone like Roger Federer. I was a little nervous at the start but once I got going it was OK."

World number one Federer, who has now won 31 matches in a row, paid tribute to his young opponent.

Federer said: "That was a very tough final today. He was making me work extremely hard in the end.

"It could have suddenly become a really dangerous match for me. Andy will become a good player, I am sure of that.

It's a pretty big deal and I'm happy with what I've done Andy Murray

"I also lost my first final when I made it onto the tour. This time he had to face the number one in the world, but it is great experience for him."

Murray was broken in his first service game but fought back in impressive fashion, troubling Federer throughout.

He was due to play an event in Belgium on Tuesday but may now take a break before switching his attention to qualifying for the Paris and Madrid Masters.

Having started the year outside the top 400, Murray will move into the top 70 or 80 when the new world rankings are announced on Monday, the youngest Briton to reach the top 100 since 1974.

"Before Queens or Wimbledon, if somebody had said I was going to be in the top 80 in the world in three months I would have said I'd got no chance," Murray added.

Murray marches on What next for rising star?

"But I got a lot of self-belief after I won against some really good players there, and then I went over to the States and played some smaller tournaments and had a lot of confidence and I won a couple of them.

"So it's been a pretty good three months for me. I wasn't expecting it, but I always believed I could get to the top. So it's a pretty big deal and I'm happy with what I've done."

His progress to his first ATP final, after only entering the tournament at the last moment following Tim Henman's withdrawal, has led to huge media interest in Britain.

"I have watched Tim Henman go through it in the last 10 years, and I hope they are a bit nicer to me than they were to him," he added.