Mark Petchey, Andy Murray's coach, has some good news for British tennis fans but bad news for the world's elite players - the Scot is getting better all the time.

The 18-year-old has shot up the world rankings this year, moving from outside the top 400 in January to 72nd yesterday.

The improvement was confirmed by his feisty display in losing the final of the Thailand Open to Roger Federer.

While the Swiss, world No 1 and already one of the game's greats, won in straight sets, Murray did enough to suggest he can fulfil John McEnroe's prediction he will be a top-20 player by next year.

Petchey stopped short of backing McEnroe's judgement but admitted his charge is on the same path as the likes of Federer, Marat Safin and Rafael Nadal.

''The target for this year was to get inside the top 100 and into the Australian Open,'' said Petchey.

''Federer was ranked about 66 at the same age, Safin about 45 and Nadal about 55. So Andy's in the mix.

''He's extremely quick already - that's one of his main attributes - and that will even improve as well. Each month he's getting stronger.''

A win over Federer would have been nothing short of a sensation so there was no shame in losing.

Murray, who had to beat home favourite Paradorn Srichaphan just to get to the final, can take heart from the performance, if not the result.

Humiliation looked to be on the cards as, after losing the first set 6-3, the Scot was broken in the first game of the second.

But Murray proved he could at least go toe-to-toe with the world's best.

He sent down some fierce aces and even broke his opponent's serve before losing the set 7-5.

''So much of it is about confidence,'' said Petchey.

''It's easy to forget that he's just 18 at the moment.

''He got confidence before Wimbledon and has been able to maintain it.

"He just needs to carry on doing the same sort of things he's been doing.

''It's about development and Andy is going through the same process that Federer has been through.''

Murray might never get to be as good as Federer. But by suddenly materialising inside the top 100, he is taking attention away from the fading powers of British numbers one and two, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

In fact, Murray is playing at a higher level than Henman managed at the same age.

The Englishman - comfortably Britain's best male tennis player in a generation or two - did not make a final of a Challenger event, let alone an ATP final, until he was a year older than Murray is now.

''It's been a pretty good three months for me,'' admitted Murray.

''I wasn't expecting it, but I always believed I could get to the top. So it's a pretty big deal and I'm happy with what I've done.''