G'bye ...

So nobody does beat Tomas Berdych 18 times in a row ...

Sadly.

I stirred very early in the morning but decided I wouldn't check on anything till my alarm went off after 6 am. And if I'm being absolutely honest, I didn't expect it to be Rolf's name that I saw in bold as the victor and not by 3-0 and the scoreline of the first two sets. I honestly didn't ...

You see, because Rafa seemed like he was in such a good place, seemed so happy and to be enjoying himself, his team looked relaxed and happy and after that second round scare, to be improving with each match - well, I let that little fairy called Hope into me. And she wrapped her dainty, little arms around my heart and squeezed it a bit. And because I felt her inside, and because we've seen it so many times before when if Rafa can just get to the quarter-final, that's the place from where he kicks on and raises his game and goes on to succeed - well, I started to believe. And after feeling Hope, I then started to visualise a win. I see the pictures in my mind and it's like if you see it hard enough, it will happen. So I felt a little down when I saw what had happened and Hope suddenly left me ... no doubt to return another day.

It didn't last long though, because when the clips from Rafa's presser started to come in, and I caught up with the comments from people who'd actually watched the match, it was obvious that he didn't play well enough to win or even come close in those first two sets. And that happens, and that's the sport. Rafa seemed particularly disappointed that he helped to make it easy for Berdych though ...

"... before I didn’t play with the right confidence, with the right intensity, losing court, playing very short. I make him play very easy. So you cannot expect to win matches in quarterfinals of Grand Slam helping the opponent to play well. That’s what I did."

... which is possibly harder for him to take than knowing he played to the absolute best of his ability, but his opponent was simply just better. He seems sad that he aided Berdych to play well and just by flicking through the pictures of the match, you can see by his body language at how disappointed with it all he was.

But Rafa wouldn't be Rafa without taking away some positives, and he voiced that he knew he played with more character in the third set and with more chances, and that is more like where he needs to be. But it's just time, hard work and luck, and a quarter-final at a Slam is still a good result considering he's barely competed since last summer.

But before I leave and wave goodbye to the Australian Open for another year, Hope has popped her head up again. Because you see, the Happy Slam just has to be that again one day for Rafa ... it just has to be.

So my wish is that his trip to South America - where he will find the sun on his back and the dirt under his feet - will help him to find what he's looking for to improve. That his confidence will return, that he will learn how to win again and where a charm of fairies will squeeze our hearts once more.

Well done Rafa!! See you in Rio ...