Johanna Larsson stepped up and saw Paula Badosa knocking the ball past the sideline. 15-0 and the very first point of this year's Australian Open turned blue yellow.

But then everything went Badosa's way and this year's single tournament was only 57 minutes short for Larsson.

- It is tough to qualify and once I succeeded it is not that I have been in 14 quarterfinals before. Unfortunately, there was a stop today, says the Swede after the match.

The opening was open with several break chances in both directions, but unfortunately only the Spanish managed to break the opponent's serve.

- I still think that I started the match creatively, even though it was 0-3 on the board. I had break balls in the first game and even at 3-1 to her and one of them I would stop in the other corner like this afterwards, so there may be some misleading numbers there, says Larsson.

The blow didn't bite

Badosa was the better player for the day and Larsson only brought one servegame, to 1-3 in the first set. Larsson is disappointed, but can still clearly see the result.

- It is clear that I am disappointed after losing a match, but I can also say to myself that I did what I could. Had it been that I threw away chances and maybe lost by 7-5 in the decisive set it would have been on the goal line, but I think she makes a great match.

TT: It's more she who plays well than you who underperforms?

- Yes, I think she played very tough and at the same time did not bet my strokes as they did in the qualifying. She missed very little to play so tough, so all cred to her.

TT: Did you feel tired after the torment?

- Not very tired. It was relatively simple matches, but today I got no power in the balls. But I should not whine that I only got a day's rest either, because it is positive that I qualified.

Double next

After Melbourne, the Fed is expecting a cup in Luxembourg at the beginning of February, but first Larsson and Rebecca Peterson will meet home pair Jaimee Fourlis / Arina Rodionova in the women's doubles tournament.

"It's just a matter of business," says a revenge artist Johanna Larsson.

Later on Monday, Peterson meets Slovenian Polona Hercog in the women's first round.