Chennai: Rafael Nadal looked disappointed, but tried not to show it.

“It was nothing special, just lost a match,” the world No. 2 said after his semi-final defeat at the hands of Xavier Malisse.

“Yes, I wanted to win the tournament, but it wasn’t meant to be... I tried my best and gave my 100 per cent, but he (Malisse) played a very good match.”

“I had my chances in the second set. If I could have taken it, may be it would have been different in the final set as I was feeling better and better,” Nadal rued.

Not unduly bothered that another tournament has passed by without him lifting the title (the last time he emerged champion was in June at Roland Garros), Nadal said: “I don’t know when it will come. But I know I’ve been working hard, practising well. Sooner or later, I will win.”

Malisse, who had not come close to beating Nadal before Saturday, said there was only way he could play if he hoped to win. “I knew I had to be aggressive, that’s why I took a lot of risks. And I kept coming at him all the time.

“I was a bit lucky in the second set as he couldn’t take his chances, but I also kept serving well. This was a perfect test for me to see where my game is vis-à-vis the best.”

Carlos Moya, who failed to make the final here for the first time since 2003, paid his conqueror Stefan Koubek a rich compliment. “I have to say he played a terrific match and deserved to win.”

Koubek thought as much. “Everything worked for me today... I actually felt sorry for Carlos. He hardly got a chance to get into the match.”