Veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco may have lost the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final to Andy Murray in straight sets on Saturday night, but he will certainly feel good about a beautiful week in which he unexpectedly beat younger and higher ranked players to reach the title round.
Verdasco's previous final appearance in a big ATP tournament came in 2012 when he lost the title battle to compatriot David Ferrer in Acapulco.
"Well, it's great. I said that yesterday that being in the final of a 500 (series tournament) after five years is a great week for me, and I have to take the positive things from this week," the 2009 Australian Open semifinalist told reporters after his 6-3 6-2 defeat to Murray in the Dubai final on Saturday night.
"Obviously I will forget about the 200 (ATP ranking) points that I won today and everything that I won today, because it's already gone. I'm happy that I tried everything, even if the things were not coming my way and I didn't really have my best day today. But I tried and I fought.
"So I have to take all the positive things to Indian Wells and Miami now, and after that to Houston and try to keep going and keep improving to make good weeks like this one. Hopefully I will have another chance to win a 500 soon. And if I have it, hopefully, I will take it," the 33-year-old player added.
Verdasco, the current world number 35, admitted to being nervous in the final against the world number one Murray.
"Yeah. I mean, of course, it's the nerves of the final, but yesterday I was also bit nervous because I was in the semifinals of a 500 to be in the finals of a 500," Verdasco, who reached a career high ranking of seven in 2009, said.
"Today I had nothing to lose because I was playing against the No. 1 in the world. So he was expected to win. But it's the pressure of the finals, that's a big event, you want to win," he added.
"And physically I was not that fresh and he pushed me. He pushed me more than anybody else during the week. But, like I said, I have to try and take only the positive things. I have to also see what was wrong and try to change it for the next tournament."
