World tennis number two Novak Djokovic says he knew his 43-match winning run would have to end, but the Serb ace insists his heartbreaking French Open semi-final defeat to a rejuvenated Roger Federer will make him stronger.
Djokovic suffered a stunning 7-6 6-3 3-6 7-6 loss to Federer on Saturday morning which ended his hopes of making a first Roland Garros final and temporarily halted his bid to snatch the world number one spot.
But the 24-year-old is adamant he will learn vital lessons from the semi-final which ended in the Paris gloom after three and half hours of gripping action.
Defeat also left Djokovic one win short of matching John McEnroe's 1984 mark of a 42-match winning start to a season.
There was a symmetry to the outcome as Federer had been the last man to beat Djokovic at the World Tour finals in November before the Serb went on his run which yielded a Davis Cup, the Australian Open as well as six other titles.
