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Thiem was better when it really mattered: Federer

March 18, 2019 23:45 IST

Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a 'tweener' as he returns against Austria's Dominic Thiem during the BNP Paribas Open men's singles final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, on Sunday

IMAGE: Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a 'tweener' as he returns against Austria's Dominic Thiem during the BNP Paribas Open men's singles final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, on Sunday. Photograph: Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

Roger Federer lost the Paribas Open final to Dominic Thiem 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday, but the Swiss legend has said that he is not that disappointed with the loss and is looking at the loss with perspective.

 

"I am not too disappointed. I feel like he had to come up with the goods, and it did feel like to some extent it was on my racquet, I just came up against somebody who was, on the day, a bit better when it really mattered," Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted Federer, as saying.

"That's how it goes. Sure, it is frustrating and disappointing and sad to some extent. But look, I have been in these positions so many times that I get over it very quickly," ATP further quoted Federer, as saying.

"It is hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong [against Thiem]. The return he hits on the line at 5-all [in the third set], that is the one I needed, and I could not produce that. Why is that?," he said.

"You can start looking, digging so deep, and then you end up getting lost, rather than just saying he played maybe a little bit better when he really had to, I did not feel like I played bad, either. I had my chances. I was in the points," he added.

Federer has won twelve out of fourteen matches this year and he became the second player in the Open era to earn 100 tour-level titles.

"I am happy for Dominic, winning his first Masters 1000, as well. It is a massive event to win, I just got my 100th in Dubai, and I had a good week here. Really, there is no reason to get down. Plus there is more to look forward to in Miami," Federer said.

The 37-year-old will now head to Miami Open and he will enter the tournament as the fourth seed.

Source: ANI