Tomas Berdych felt Roger Federer was simply too good in their Australian Open quarter-final on Tuesday. The Czech sixth seed had his chances before going down 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-4 to Federer on Rod Laver Arena.
Federer, who reached the last four in Melbourne for the 12th time in the past 13 years, was brilliant and finished with 48 winners and 26 unforced errors.
Berdych said the 17-time grand slam champion simply outplayed him in the last-eight clash.
"I was definitely expecting the game like that. He came up with a game that was really good," he said. "He was playing really, really aggressive, without any mistakes, without any unforced errors. He was just too good today. I mean, that's it. That's the way that he needs to play I think this time. He's been doing it, I would say, quite accurately today."
Berdych was up a break in the first and third sets but failed to capitalise on those opportunities. The 2010 Wimbledon runner-up said he had missed those chances, but also paid tribute to the Swiss great's response.
"Definitely not regrets. I mean, there are few things … I was able to make some chances in the first set; same in the third," Berdych said.
"When you break him and then you lose your serve right after, that's definitely not a thing that's going to help. But, as I said, he was playing really well, quite aggressive, and especially without any easy mistakes. I mean, when you don't get any single [easy] point then it's a bit difficult."
"I'm not asking like to have all the points for free, but it's something that you can build on and maybe you can take a little advantage or momentum from that. But he was just too good today," he concluded.
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