"It's definitely not an easy loss to take. I would have liked to have been involved here for much longer"
Tuesday 29 August 2017 09:15, UK
Johanna Konta said her shock first-round exit to Aleksandra Krunic at the US Open was "not an easy loss to take".
Konta's brilliant run to the semi-finals of Wimbledon marked her out as a contender for the title in New York on her favoured hard courts and she went into the tournament as one of eight players in the race to be world No 1.
But the 26-year-old seventh seed never looked comfortable against 78th-ranked Krunic and lost 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Konta said: "She played very well. She played consistently much better than I did. I think she was able to raise her level throughout the match, and mine fluctuated a little bit up and down.
"So I think in terms of effort and fight, I competed until the very last point. I think the level of tennis by her was just better today.
"First rounds in every tournament, and especially at slams, it can be tricky, finding your footing and playing yourself into the tournament, into the match.
"She played quite freely, and I think she was able to find her level much quicker and more consistently. That's credit to her for dealing with the situation better than I did.
"It's definitely not an easy loss to take. I would have liked to have been involved here for much longer."
Konta insisted she felt happy with her preparation despite only winning two matches in the build-up to the tournament having taken a short break after Wimbledon.
The defeat is a major blow to Konta's chance of qualifying for the WTA Finals in October, which feature the best eight players of the season.
She will now head home to Eastbourne to spend some time with her parents before resuming her season in Asia next month.
Konta said: "I think not to catastrophise it is important. At the end of the day, it is a tennis match. I think to have a healthy perspective on that, in general, goes a long way.
"For me, the goal is to stay healthy, for one, and play a full season, but to keep trying to get better. I've got still a few tournaments left in the season and, if Singapore is in the cards for me, then I will take it and be very grateful. If not, I will take what comes my way."
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