Murray had dug deep in the third round to come from two sets to love down to beat Austria's Jurgen Melzer but no player had lost the first set in a US Open final and gone on to win since Edberg in 1991.
Federer took his fifth straight game to open the second set and was 30-0 up on Murray's serve before the British player forced three errors from the Swiss star by targeting his backhand.
Murray could not put the game away, however, and Federer worked a break point before taking a 2-0 lead with a crosscourt forehand winner.
Far from looking beaten, Murray appeared to have come alive as he rallied in the next game, earning three break points and taking the game to love with a great crosscourt forehand return backed up with a powerful backhand that Federer could only volley into the net.
Murray held his serve comfortably to draw level at 2-2 and he won the next three points on Federer's serve to earn another triple break point off another loose volley at the net from the second seed.
Federer saved the first by stretching Murray with a series of thundering forehands but Murray should have wrapped the game up in a similar rally on the next point when a Federer forehand mid-point looked long but play continued to the defending champion's benefit.
Murray looked witheringly at the line judge but having not challenged in mid-point he could do nothing to reverse the situation and Federer went on to hold serve as a television replay showed the ball had indeed been long.
Murray stayed sufficiently composed to hold serve in the next game but Federer continued to look vulnerable on his service. That he held the seventh game serving with a first service rate of just 48 per cent was a source of frustration for Murray and there were further problems as he began to clutch his right knee between points.
The Scot, though, continued to hold serve, moving to 4-4 with an ace while Federer was far from convincing on his serve, his unforced error count creeping up to 17 for the set after just seven in the opener as he held to take a 6-5 lead.
Serving to send the set into a tiebreak, Murray met a reignited Federer who quickly earned a triple set point which he converted at the first opportunity when the Scot sent over a drop shot at the net that the champion not only met but sent past his rival down the line.
So having matched Federer throughout the set, Murray found himself 2-0 down and with a mountain to climb.
Federer wins first setPlaying the first men's singles final on a Monday since 1987 due to the heavy rain that delayed the completion of Murray's semi-final against Nadal on Saturday and washed out the women's final that night, Federer walked out on court in late afternoon sunshine to the louder cheers from the 23,700-plus capacity crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In addition to the 1.5 million (£850,000) winner's cheque, sixth seed Murray was chasing a 500,000 (£285,000) bonus as his ATP Masters Series title in Cincinnati and a semi-final appearance in Toronto this summer gave him second place in the US Open Series behind Nadal.
The Scot had won two titles earlier in the year, making him the most successful player on hardcourts this year, and he had also beaten Federer in Dubai in March to take a 2-1 career record over the former world number one, one of 12 losses this year for the Swiss, the most defeats for him in a season since 2003.
Federer, though, has been a different player back at Flushing Meadows, storming to a four-set victory over third seed Djokovic in the semis on Saturday and claiming to be totally at ease.
Indeed, Murray was the first to come under pressure on his serve, having to save a break point at 2-1 as gusting winds were making life difficult from one end of the bowl-like stadium.
Murray, though, showing no sign of nerves in his grand slam final debut, proved he would be no pushover, and held serve.
At 3-2 down and serving into the breeze, the British number one faced two break points but this time could not hold, sending a forehand into the alley and handing Federer the initiative.
The defending champion, who had enjoyed a day's extra rest while Murray was battling Nadal on Sunday, was looking supremely confident, his forehand immaculate and his mobility excellent as he moved to 5-2 to leave the Scot needing to save the set.
Now serving with new balls and with the wind behind him, Murray had all the ingredients for a hold but Federer was becoming unstoppable and the first set was wrapped up in short order, the Swiss taking it 6-2 in just 27 minutes.
Click here for our live blog of Murray's match against FedererThe full article contains 861 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
