Maria Sharapova put on a brave face after her heartbreaking 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 loss to Serena Williams in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Thursday.
The Russian teenager could not completely hide her pain after squandering three match points but said she would get over the disappointment and the defeat would ultimately make her a better player.
"Of course I'm sad, and obviously it's a tough one to lose but I've got a long way ahead of me," Sharapova said.
"I'm 17 years old and I got to the semi-finals of the Australian Open so nothing's negative.
"This is not a sprint, it's a marathon and I'm just riding along."
Sharapova stunned Williams when she beat her in last year's Wimbledon final then proved it was no fluke when she get the better of her again in the season-ending tour championship.
The fourth seed looked certain to make it three in a row when she won the first set on Thursday and served for the match in the 10th games of the second and third sets.