Andy Murray admitted he deserved to lose to Arnaud Clement in the final of the Legg Mason Classic.

The 19-year-old Scot blew his chance to claim the second ATP Tour title of his career with a below-par performance in Washington.

Plainly struggling in sweltering 90-degree heat, Murray found no way back after dropping a first set tie-break and eventually fell 7-6 6-2 to the experienced former Australian Open runner-up.

Murray, who developed a blister on the middle finger of his right hand that required treatment from the trainer in the second set, did not want to make excuses for the defeat.

"He definitely deserved to win," Murray said. "Fatigue wasn't a problem. I had my chances.

"He raised his game once he got back into the match and then I served badly in the tie-break. Then he had an unbelievable shot at 6-3 to win the set."

It was a performance which served notice to Murray's new coach Brad Gilbert of the work he faces to turn the 19-year-old Scot into a consistent top-level performer.

Two error-strewn Murray service games at the start of the second set eased the Frenchman into a 4-0 lead and ultimately made the fourth title of his long career a formality.

Such has been the extent of Murray's remarkable rise over the last 12 months that he began a narrow favourite to wrap up another title to add to his triumph at San Jose in February.

And the young Scot could hardly have asked for a better start as he broke his 28-year-old opponent in the opening game of the match to immediately take the advantage.

However the inconsistency which would eventually cost him dear soon reared its ugly head as Murray twice blew a break advantage to enable Clement to take the set into a tie-break.

And the Frenchman was able to make the most of his chance to wrap up the breaker 7-3 with a fine stretching cross-court winner in response to a Murray drop shot.

Murray's shoulders visibly slumped as Clement breezed into a commanding second-set lead. And some of the erratic play produced by Murray will have been of some concern to Gilbert, who was watching his new charge's performance from the grandstand.

A hopelessly lofted forehand to gift Clement the double-break was practically an admission of impending defeat and Clement served out with the minimum of fuss for only the fourth title of his long career.

However Murray's overall performance in his first week under Gilbert will come as great consolation and certainly augurs well for a profitable partnership ahead.

"It's one of my best weeks ever," Clement added. "I think I played my best match in the final.

"After the start it was a perfect match for me - no mistakes."