Britain's 74-year wait for a grand slam tennis champion continues after Andy Murray fell at the final hurdle in Australia against Roger Federer.
But fans around the country and in his home town of Dunblane applauded the efforts of the 22-year-old Scot and insisted he will one day lift a major title.
An emotional Murray broke down on court after the straight sets Australian Open defeat as he thanked fans for their support. He said: "I'm sorry I couldn't do it for you."
The win gave Federer, the most successful male player of all time, his 16th grand slam title. But it left British sports fans waiting for their first grand slam winner since Fred Perry won the Wimbledon and US titles in 1936.
Despite losing 6-3 6-4 7-6 (13/11), Murray said the game was closer than his only other major final defeat - also to Federer in the US two years ago.
"I'm getting closer (to a grand slam). My results in the grand slams would show that," Murray said. "I've just got to keep working hard."
The Scot's efforts had been keenly watched by fans in his home town of Dunblane, Perthshire.
Around 150 people gathered in the Dunblane community centre for a big screen broadcast of the match which started at 8.30am on Sunday. The nearby Dunblane Hotel was also packed out, after having secured a special 8am opening licence to show the game, where bacon sandwiches were distributed to early risers.
And despite the outcome, Murray's performance was still praised.
David Marshall, chief executive of Tennis Scotland, was among those watching the game in the Dunblane centre. He said: "There's plenty of slams to aim for and I'm sure Andy will be back stronger than ever."
