Nadal reflects on 'very bad' upset loss to Berdych

MELBOURNE, Australia – "No, not 'so-so.' Very bad. You can say, no problem."

Rafael Nadal made the press room here burst into laughter with his straightforwardness Tuesday after what was a shocking loss to Tomas Berdych, a player he had beaten 17 straight times dating back to 2006.

USA TODAY Sports queried Nadal about his up-and-down form throughout this event – "so-so" the exact (and polite) term used – but Nadal wasn't sugar-coating this loss: It wasn't his best tennis, he knew that, and that's OK.

How hard had it been, though, for the No. 3 seed and 14-time major champion to go out on court for five Grand Slam matches and not know what to expect from himself? Not sure which of which Rafa would show up?

"Is not the first time that I have bad feelings when I am coming back," Nadal said in his general press conference after the astounding loss. "It's normal and is part of the process. When you are coming back from injuries you lose more easier the feeling than what you do when you are on rhythm, when you are with no injuries, when you are confident in yourself that you played a lot of matches. And that's the thing that happened, no?"

Yes, that is what happened.

While a shocking loss by Roger Federer rang several figurative alarm bells around the tennis world on Friday about the great champion's form and future, Nadal's loss did little of that.

Tennis fans knew to expect the unexpected with Nadal in this tournament: Go out in the first round? OK.

Win the title? Sure.

"As I said when I arrived here, the process always is not easy," Nadal continued, reflecting on a bum wrist and appendix surgery that interrupted much of the second half of his 2014 season. "When you have injuries, are difficult the comebacks. There are so many examples around the world of sport that have been tough to be back. For me, I'm not an exception on that, no? I have to take the positive things. Without being at my top level of tennis I was able to be here in quarterfinals. So taking the positive part, that's the thing that I have to take."

What are the positives from Nadal this tournament? His body held up, for the most part, through five matches. He fought his way through an epic battle with American qualifier Tim Smyczek over five sets, obviously not in the right place or space but reminding us why he's one of the great champions of this sport, a multi-Slam winner.

He blazed through wins over Dudi Sela and highly-regarded Kevin Anderson, the world No. 14. More over, there was no concern from Nadal when his tournament was finally over, none of his famous furrowed brow to try and understand it all and what it means.

He understands his body and the time it needs. He knows that Roland Garros, where he's won a record nine times, is a safe four months away.

"That's just the beginning of the season, and I want to keep having chances to compete well against everybody," said Nadal, who was a finalist here a year ago. "I need to keep working the way that I am doing for be ready for the next. Beginnings are tough. I need to … try to be strong, accepting everything, and working hard to be back the way that I want to be. When I say 'be back,' I don't mean win or lose, I mean have the feeling on court that when you are there you feel confident, you feel you can compete against everybody with equal conditions."

Berdych nowwill play Andy Murray in the semifinals.

For Nadal, who never proclaimed himself a favorite to win this title, it was a successful trip Down Under. His perspective is at the championship level.

"Without being at my top level of tennis I was able to be here in quarterfinals," Nadal said. "Is not a bad result at all for me arriving here the way I arrived: only with one match (this year), only with (a few) matches in seven months. So taking the positive part, that's the thing that I have to take."

It's no trophy, but it's a big thing to take away for the 28 year old.

"Champions always find a silver lining," noted Chris Evert on ESPN. "He'll just go back to the drawing board. Remember, it's only January."

And remember: He's Rafael Nadal.