Sport | Tennis
Magical season eases Nadal's pain
World number one Rafael Nadal eased the pain of his semi-final loss to sixth-seeded Briton Andy Murray at the US Open on Sunday by reflecting back on a near-perfect season.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:49 September 8, 2008
New York: World number one Rafael Nadal eased the pain of his semi-final loss to sixth-seeded Briton Andy Murray at the US Open on Sunday by reflecting back on a near-perfect season.
Over the last four months, the muscular Spaniard has won a fourth successive French Open, his first Wimbledon title and Olympic gold in Beijing before ending a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings for Roger Federer.
Although disappointed to be upset 6-2 7-6 4-6 6-4 by Murray in the final Grand Slam event of the year, Nadal was delighted to reach the semifinal stage at Flushing Meadows for the first time.
"I accept the losses with the same calm when I win," the 22-year-old Majorcan told reporters after succumbing to Murray in three hours 30 minutes in the showpiece Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"So I am disappointed? Yes. But at the same time, I am happy because I did good semifinals here.
"Probably when I arrived here, my situation wasn't the best to play a good tournament with too many tournaments and too many matches on my shoulders.
"But I fight well and I had a good tournament so I go from the US Open with positive things, with a good tournament, no?"
Nadal's magnificent 2008 campaign has included eight ATP titles and a win-loss record of 75-9.
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