Mark Selby has admitted that his aim was simply to "make the score more presentable" when he resumed yesterday's Masters final with Ronnie O'Sullivan following a 7-1 thrashing in the afternoon session.
Selby, who had won the title in 2008, 2010 and 2013, managed to share six frames in the evening as O'Sullivan eventually prevailed 10-4.
After the defeat, Selby was full of praise for five-time champion O'Sullivan.
He said: "It is disappointing, but the first three frames Ronnie played fantastically well, other players do not clear in a single visit from those positions.
"The damage was done in the first session at 7-1 down obviously, in the evening I was just trying to make the score more presentable.
"I got to the UK final last month and again here, and it is no disgrace losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan in a final."
O'Sullivan did not make a century against Selby, but he put together breaks of 70, 72, 90, 96 and 97.
