Red-hot Roddick just too good on the day, concedes Murray

DEJECTED and disappointed though he was after losing in four sets to Andy Roddick, Andy Murray held his head up and declared he had played well. He simply accepted that his opponent had played unbelievably well.

Murray often takes a long time after matches to warm down, take in some food and begin his recovery programme before presenting himself for a media conference. Yesterday by the time he faced the press, the disappointment of failing to become the first British men's finalist since 1938 was beginning to sink in, and he started off by implying he had not been shocked by how well Roddick had played.

"You always expect your opponents to play well, especially at this stage of the tournament," he said. "And he served great. Served really, really well in the tiebreaks. I think he maybe missed two first serves.

"I had a few chances in the first tiebreak. I had chances early in the third set. I didn't take them."

It was a close contest, as is usually the case with matches which feature two tiebreaks. In years to come the one abiding memory of it will surely be the quality of Roddick's game, but Murray rightly pointed out that he had not exactly played a bad match himself.

"I thought I played well. I mean, if you look at the stats, I hit more winners, less unforced errors, more aces. I'm sure the points that we won were very, very similar. It just came down to a few points here or there on his serve.

"And he served really well. Very close to the lines. Sometimes there's not a whole lot you can do with that, but I definitely didn't play a bad match."

Murray went on to explain that, while at times he stood back and Roddick was on the front foot, this was a question of tactics rather than his being cowed into passivity by the big-hitting Nebraskan. "I don't think I played that passive. You know, my game style against him is not always to sort of go on the court and try and blast winners all the time.

"Because he has such a big serve that you need to try and get into points and make returns. I used my slice well. I didn't pass as well as I normally do.

"But he came up with some good volleys and big serves, and that is what happened. Like I say, it wasn't through being too passive or me playing a poor match."

As the match wore on, Murray looked to be having difficulties with one of his knees, but he explained it was normal wear and tear rather than an injury. "It had nothing to do with the outcome of the match.

"I think you're always going to be a little bit stiff and sore when you get to the end of these sort of tournaments. But it wasn't anything that hampered my movement or anything."

Received wisdom, as voiced by Tommy Haas after his semi-final defeat by Roger Federer for example, was that Murray would have stood more of a chance against the five-time champion than Roddick. The Scot, however, refused to write off the American's chances. "I think if he serves like that he's got a chance against anyone, because it comes down to, like I said, a few points in each set. So regardless of whether it's Roger or me or anybody else, if he serves high 70s (that, is if he gets coming on 80 per cent of his first serve in] with the pace he's got on his serve, he's got a good chance."

The record books would suggest Roddick's chances against Federer are not that good, as he has won just two of his 20 encounters with the 2003-07 champion. But he had won only two out of eight against Murray before yesterday, so will not be fazed by bald statistics.

"I had a pretty good record against him as well going into today," Murray recalled. "Like I say, if someone serves 130 miles an hour consistently throughout the match, and at 75 to 80 per cent, it's very tough to break them, especially on a court like this that's quick."

It will be little consolation for Murray, but this fortnight does still represent progress for him, as he has yet again gone one round more than he did at his previous Wimbledon. Although he must now wait at least a year before contesting the final, he is more convinced than ever that he can go on to become the first home winner of the tournament since Fred Perry completed his hat-trick in 1936.

"I think I have a chance. And I think that the way I played this year it was very, very close to getting to the final.

"If I give myself those sorts of opportunities and keep playing well, and my consistency in the Grand Slams the last year or so has been so much better, I'm going to give myself opportunities to do it. I believe I can win a Grand Slam, whether it's Wimbledon or the US Open or Australia or whatever. I'm going to give myself chances.

"I'll move on very, very quickly and go and work on my game and improve and come back stronger. That's a pathetic attitude to have, if you lose one match and go away and let it ruin your year.

"I've had a very good year so far. I'm very close to the top of the game. The US Open I've always said is my best surface, my best chance to win a slam, and I'll give it my best shot there."

The one lingering frustration Murray had from the match was the code violation for an audible obscenity which he received from the umpire – completely unjustly, he insisted. "That stuff just annoys me when you're totally rushed into it," he said. "When you say, like, Hit the pass, and you get a code violation for that, it's a bit disappointing. So I hope I get an apology."