Melbourne (AFP) - Andrey Rublev said on Wednesday that he was a better player than before even as he lost a Grand Slam quarter-final for an agonising seventh time.
The Russian fifth seed was blasted off court 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in Melbourne by nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic to once again miss out on a semi-final.
"Like always I will try to take experience, lessons.The things that I need to improve I think is very clear," said the 25-year-old.
"Now I have enough time to prepare, to work, especially with some guys from the new team that I have now.We can build a great two weeks of practice before I will start indoor season.
"We'll see.Now I have to use this time in a smart way, to really work hard and improve some things."
World number six Rublev, who has won 13 ATP titles, said he knew what to expect from Djokovic -- but stopping him is another matter.
"There was nothing that impressed me because he's one of the best.I knew he's going to be really tough, that's it, it's very simple," he said.
Despite the lop-sided scoreline and his inability to get past the quarter-final roadblock, Rublev insisted he is in a better place now than at previous Grand Slams.
"Mental-wise I feel this Slam was much better than the previous ones, so for sure I feel I'm a better player, I feel better physically also.
"Hopefully I can keep improving."
