• Australian Open, Day 14

Murray takes positives from Djokovic defeat

Andy Murray ran out of steam against Novak Djokovic © AP

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Andy Murray refused to be downbeat after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final on Sunday.

Following his victory at the US Open last September, Murray failed in his bid to become the first man to follow up his maiden grand slam title with a second at the first opportunity, after he was beaten 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2 by the world No. 1.

The Scot shed tears after his defeat to Roger Federer in last year's Wimbledon final but, having won Olympic gold and broken his major duck in New York last summer, the British No. 1 is taking the positives from his fortnight in Melbourne.

"There's going to be some obvious reasons for me feeling a little bit better," Murray said. "I mean, the last few months have been the best tennis of my life. I made the Wimbledon final, won the Olympics, won the US Open. You know, I was close here as well.

"No-one's ever won a slam, the immediate one after winning their first one. It's not the easiest thing to do. And I got extremely close. I have to try and look at the positives of the last few months, and I think I'm going the right direction.

"This is the first time I've beaten Roger [Federer] in a slam over five sets. I think I dealt with the situations and the ebbs and flows in that match well. I felt much more comfortable on the court today than even I did at the US Open, so that has to be a positive."

Murray, who in previous seasons has struggled with his form in the spring after defeat to Federer and Djokovic in the 2010 and 2011 Australian Open finals respectively, says his US Open victory lifted a huge weight off his shoulders.

"I said before the US Open match I was unbelievably nervous beforehand and was doubting, you know, myself a lot," Murray said. "I didn't go on the court today having those doubts. I went on the court and felt pretty calm from the beginning of the match.

"I was obviously still nervous, but I think I just felt I don't know more at home in a match like that on a court like that when you're playing, you know, for a grand slam title. I mean, the first few times I played for a grand slam, US Open and here, you know, I definitely struggled with it. Now I feel more comfortable."

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