Rafael Nadal has said that it was not his day after exiting the Australian Open in the opening round for the first time in his career.
Nadal, the world number five, was beaten in five sets 7-6(6) 4-6 3-6 7-6(4) 6-2 by fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in Melbourne.
It means that 14-time Slam winner Nadal has now failed to reach the second week in the last three Majors after also going out early at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
Speaking after his defeat today, Nadal told reporters: "[Verdasco] played better than me. He played more aggressive than me. He took more risks than me, and he won. Probably he deserved.
"The match is a tough loss for me obviously. Obviously is tough, especially because is not like last year that I arrived here playing bad and feeling myself not ready for it. This year was a completely different story. I have been playing and practising great and working so much.
"It is tough when you work so much and arrive at a very important event and you're going out too early. But at the same time, I know I did everything that I can to be ready for it. It was not my day. Let's keep going. That's the only thing."
Nadal, 29, failed to win one of the four Grand Slams for the first time since 2004 last year and has not gone further than the quarter-finals in any Major since winning the 2014 French Open.
Pascal Lemesre
