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London - Beaten Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic paid a warm tribute to Andy Murray on winning his second title and was also proud of reaching his first grand slam final.
Second seed Murray defeated the sixth-seeded Canadian 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in a match lasting two hours and 50 minutes in front of a packed Centre Court.
In an interview after Sunday's final, the 25-year-old Raonic commended Murray for his fine tournament.
“I think it's phenomenal for him to back up his win from three years ago,” said Raonic. “He's been in many finals since then that he wasn't able to make the most of.
“From what I saw of his matches he had a pretty good opportunity to win this tournament without losing a set.
“He was two sets to love up against Jo (Wilfried Tsonga) who made a strong fight back, then Andy had to turn it around in a very strong way in the fifth set.
“He’s been playing great. Guys haven’t been able to give him a true big scare. He definitely deserved to win this tournament and earned it.
“For him, it's a big step forward. What's next for him is up to him. He's got to go for it. There's many other guys that are going to be trying to go for it, as well. I know I will.”
The big-serving Raonic admitted he was sad to have lost in the final but would not let that detour him from trying to win his first grand slam singles title going forward.
"This one will sting a bit," he added. "I'm going to work on everything. I'm not going to leave any stone unturned. I'm going to try to get myself back in this position, try to be better in this position.
"I'm going to try to get fitter, stronger. I'm going to try to improve my return game, improve my serve. I can improve there. Improve my efficiency coming forward.
"There's not one thing I'm not going to try to improve."
Raonic, who will next be in action in Canada at the Rogers Cup from July 23-31, said that he had not discussed if there were any plan's going forward to work with tennis legend John McEnroe, who assisted him with his Wimbledon preparations.
"We haven't spoken about anything, but I'm sure we're going to have that discussion over the next 24 hours."
The world number seven added he is confident in his ability to challenge for more major titles in the future.
"I believe I definitely have that ability within myself," he said. "There's not a shadow of a doubt from myself.
"The question is, am I going to make the most of it when those opportunities arise?"
