Murray: No excuses for defeat
Andy Murray says he lost to better player after being knocked out of Australian Open by Fernando Verdasco
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Monday, 26, Jan 2009 11:21
British number one Andy Murray admitted he lost to a better player on the day following his elimination by Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open fourth round.
Murray lost in five sets to the Spaniard, who registered his first victory over the Scot in six attempts, after a see-saw battle at the Hisense Arena.
And the 21-year-old fourth seed conceded that Verdasco had outclassed him in their match - despite entering the tournament as one of the bookies' favourites.
"He served incredibly in the fourth and fifth sets. He served huge," Murray said afterwards.
"The fourth set, I think he served 93 per cent first serves.
"Sometimes you've just got to say too good - he played better than me."
Murray had complained of headaches and a sore throat before his third-round win over Austria's Jurgen Melzer at the weekend.
However, he refused to use his health problems as an excuse for the defeat.
"If you're sick, there are some things you can't do as well as you might like but you just have to deal with it," the world number four continued.
"If you go on the court and play, then you do everything you can with what you've got.
"If I say that I'm sick and it affected me I know it's going to be like, 'well, he's making excuses for losing.'
"I don't feel that was the reason why I lost. I didn't feel terrible at all.
"I definitely had my chances but he played too well."