Magical season eases Nadal's pain after Murray loss

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World number one Rafael Nadal eased the pain of his semi-final loss to sixth-seeded Briton Andy Murray at the U.S. Open on Sunday by reflecting back on a near-perfect season.

Over the last four months, the muscular Spaniard has won a fourth successive French Open, his first Wimbledon title and Olympic gold in Beijing before ending a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings for Roger Federer.

Although disappointed to be upset 6-2 7-6 4-6 6-4 by Murray in the final grand slam event of the year, Nadal was delighted to reach the semi-final stage at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

"I accept the losses with the same calm when I win," the 22-year-old Majorcan told reporters after succumbing to Murray in three hours 30 minutes in the showpiece Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"So I am disappointed? Yes. But at the same time, I am happy because I did good semi-finals here.

"Probably when I arrived here, my situation wasn't the best to play a good tournament with too many tournaments and too many matches on my shoulders.

"But I fight well and I had a good tournament so I go from the U.S. Open with positive things, with a good tournament, no?"

Nadal's magnificent 2008 campaign has included eight ATP titles and a win-loss record of 75-9. The Spaniard has lost only three times in his last 57 matches and has achieved every goal he laid out for himself at the start of the year.  Continued...