Russia's Andrey Rublev offered no excuses after going down tamely against compatriot Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, instead crediting his opponent's near-faultless display at Rod Laver Arena.
Both Russians stepped onto the court full of confidence, unbeaten so far this season, each holding an 8-0 record.
But it was Medvedev who raised his game in crucial moments to seal a 7-5 6-3 6-2 win over Rublev.
"Daniil was playing -- I mean, at least against me, if we take all the matches that I've played against him, today he played his best level," Rublev said.
"The only two chances I had, it's 5-all first set and 3-all second set, and that's it. I just had two chances that I didn't make today, but it's tennis - it's part of it."
The result represents a fourth consecutive quarter-final defeat at Grand Slam events for Rublev, who is tipped to challenge for major trophies in the coming years.
"Maybe next tournament is going to be the same story in the semi-final or maybe I will lose first round. So it's not only about quarter-final," the 23-year-old said.
Rublev said he still would rate his Melbourne campaign as a success, having set a personal best at the Australian Open and also helping Russia win the ATP Cup title.
"I took also a lot of (ranking) points, which put me in a good position at the beginning of the year," he added. "I hope I can show great level, not only now but for the rest of the season."
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
