Andy Murray last night promised to shake off the disappointment of his defeat at Wimbledon by targeting glory at the US Open.

Andy Murray last night promised to shake off the disappointment of his defeat at Wimbledon by targeting glory at the US Open.

The 22-year-old Scot was beaten in four sets by Andy Roddick on the Centre Court yesterday. The 26-year-old American's victory 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, means that he will face Roger Federer in the final tomorrow. Bunny Austin, therefore, remains the last British player to reach the final of the men's singles at Wimbledon and his appearance was in 1938.

Murray was asked if he would be able to recover from what must have been a crushing disappointment. He replied: "I'll move on 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 you go away and let it ruin your year."

The world No.3 added: "I've had a very good year so far and I'm very close to the top of my game. The US Open is my best surface, my best chance to win a slam, and I'll give it my best shot there."

Murray stressed that he believed he could one day win Wimbledon. "I have a chance. The way I played this year was enough to get me very, very close to the final," he insisted. He was positive about his tournament. "I did better than I have ever done before," he said of his run to the semis.

"I had some very good matches and I played good tennis. I dealt with everything that was put in front of me."

Except, that is, for the formidable form of Roddick. "He served really, really well," he said of the American who reached speeds of 143mph on Centre Court yesterday afternoon. "He served very close to the lines, too. Sometimes there is not a lot you can do with that."

Roddick, too, had a lot of joy with his strategy of coming into the net. "I didn't pass as well as I normally do but he came up with some good volleys," said Murray.

Murray screamed Hit the pass' at himself in frustration and was given a code violation for an audible obscenity by the umpire Pascal Maria. The Scot protested his innocence later and said he hoped for an apology from the umpire.

But Murray preferred to look to the future. "This has been a very good, productive tournament for me," he said. He has five weeks off before he has to play again and is already looking forward to the US Open that begins on August 31.

"I liked it ever since I went there as a junior," said Murray, who won the junior title at Flushing Meadow. "The atmosphere on the courts is great. It is pretty incredible to play on the centre court when it is full."

Murray lost in the final in New York last year to Federer.

But he is ready to step up his game. He denied that he had succumbed to pressure yesterday, saying: "I obviously put pressure on myself to play well. But I don't think there were any moments when I felt too tight to go for shots."

He admitted: "I maybe made a couple of mistakes I should not have made in the first tie break. But if you look at the amount of winners that I hit compared to Roddick, then I don't think you can say I wasn't swinging freely."

The match was unbearably tight. Murray won 141 points and Roddick won 143. These are the margins that decide who goes on to contest a final and who has to go home.

The Scot was asked what chance the American now had against Federer who will be an overwhelming favourite to lift his sixth Wimbledon title.

"If he serves like he did today, he has a chance against anyone," said Murray of his semi-final conqueror.

"It can come down to a few points in each set. So regardless whether it is Roger, me or anyone else, if he serves high 70s percentage of first serves in and with the pace he has, he's got a chance."

However, Murray still favours the Swiss master. "Roger is the favourite. If he plays his best and passes well, there is no reason why he can not win."

Federer reached the final by beating Tommy Haas of Germany in straight sets. He now goes for the all-time record of grand slam wins.

Murray thanked the Centre Court crowd for their support throughout the tournament. "They were excellent," he said. "Hopefully, I'll have the same support next year."

Murray pledged that he still had a major victory in him, saying: "I believe I can win a grand slam. I'm going to give myself my chances."

Asked if he was aware of the support in Scotland, the Dunblane player said: "I don't get a chance to get back there as much as I would like but my friends and family tell me that the support has been great. And that is awesome. I am sure Scotland was rooting for me."