Murray shakes off disappointment to look to the future

 ANDY Murray insisted he would be quick to seek the positives from his defeat in the final of the Australian Open.

CONSOLATION: Andy Murray will climb the world rankings to number three following his run to the final of the Australian Open (Getty Images)

Murray will take a little consolation from news he will leapfrog both Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro to assume the status of world number three, when the ATP Tour release their revised rankings tomorrow.

But there can't be any doubt about who is number one, following Roger Federer's 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory on the Rod Laver Arena, a convincing straight sets performance that secured him a record 16th Grand Slam title.

"I'm obviously very disappointed but I think I'm getting closer and I'm playing better," said Murray, who also lost to Federer in his first Grand Slam final appearance, at the 2008 US Open in New York.

"To have the opportunity to play in these tournaments, in these matches, is pretty incredible in the grand scheme of things.

"I'm not going to be too disappointed, I've got a pretty good life. I've got a long career ahead of me and I'm going to have more opportunities, I hope that I will.

"But if I don't, there's a lot more important things to worry about than tennis.

"But I'm still hungry to win one. I have since I was 16, 17 years old when I started playing the junior Grand Slams. 

"I work really, really hard to try to do it and give myself the opportunity but, so far, it's not been good enough.

"But I'm sure one day, it will be."

Murray was outclassed in the first two sets but squandered a host of chances in a much tighter third set.

First he failed to serve out, after breaking Federer to secure a 5-3 advantage. Then he couldn't convert five set points during a tense tie-break, which the world number one finally won 13-11 to secure his victory in two hours and 41 minutes.

"I had my chance to get back into the match, that was probably why I was so upset at the end," added Murray.

"I didn't feel nervous. He puts a lot of pressure on you with the way that he plays and you need to focus really hard, throughout the match."

Murray seemed to be struggling with a hip complaint at points during the final - but refused to blame that on his loss, even insisting the real issue was his shorts were too tight.

He now plans to get some rest ahead of first Masters 1000 event of the season in Indian Wells and the defence of his prestigious Miami title a few weeks later.

"I'll take some time off now, take a rest and then see what my priorities are going to be," he said.

"But obviously getting to a second slam final is a great achievement. So I've got to be proud of that."