NADAL DEFLATED BY FIVE-SET THRILLER

RAFAEL Nadal called his epic five-set defeat by Gilles Muller a “lost opportunity”.

The two-time Wimbledon champion clearly had his eyes on a third title despite his recent early exits from the championships.

But Muller stunned the Spaniard, and a disbelieving Court One, by triumphing 15-13 i n a marathon fifth set which lasted two and a quarter hours.

“I lost in the fourth round. That’s not the result that I was expecting,” said Nadal.

“It’s true that I played some good matches, but, at the same time, it’s true that I didn’t want to lose that match.

“So it’s tough to analyse that in a positive way right now.

“I won matches. I played better than other years, true. At the same time I was ready for important things, so I lost an opportunity.”

Muller, the 16th seed from Luxembourg, was the first player to beat a raw Nadal at Wimbledon back in 2005.

As well as completing a personal double, he added his name to those of Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis, Nick Kyrgios and Dustin Brown in sending Nadal home early over the last six years.

M u l l e r, w h o faces Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals, said: “I just tried to hang in there.

“Rafa stepped it up in the third and the fourth sets. Then I just told myself ‘just hang in there and you’re going to get your chances’.

“It’s definitely my biggest win, I would say.”