Most pundits viewed it as a boilover.
Rafael Nadal rated it a pass mark given his extended stint on the sidelines.
Nadal conceded his match fitness - or lack thereof - was a major factor in his shock quarter-final loss to Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open.
Nadal last week overcame unheralded American Tim Smyczek in a second-round five-setter, but Berdych blitzed the 14-time grand slam champion in straight sets on Tuesday.
The third seed came into the tournament insisting he wasn't a serious title contender after playing just eight matches since Wimbledon due to back and wrist injuries and an appendectomy in October.
Nadal, having been constantly quizzed about his health over the past six months, was reluctant to discuss how underdone he was at Melbourne Park.
"I am feeling ok," the 28-year-old said.
"We talked enough about that before the tournament and almost every day."
But in a stark admission, the Spaniard added a quarter-final berth was an acceptable outcome given his lack of "rhythm" and how little tennis he has recently played.
"Without being at my top level of tennis, I was able to be here in the quarter-finals," Nadal said.
"It is not a bad result at all for me arriving here the way I arrived.
"I need to keep working the way that I am ... working hard to be back the way that I want to be.
"I don't mean win or lose, I mean have the feeling on court that when you are there you feel confident. You feel you can compete against everybody with equal conditions."
Nadal suggested he was at his best in a fourth-round 7-5 6-1 6-4 win over South African Kevin Anderson, but "the rest of the matches have been a lot of up and down".
Nadal's attention will now turn to his Roland Garros, where he boasts an incredible nine titles from the past 10 French Opens.
The world No.3, who has battled chronic knee injuries throughout his career, was upbeat he would be back to his best soon enough.
"It is not the first time in my career I have been injured," he said.
"It is not the first time that I have bad feelings when I am coming back.
"It is normal and is part of the process."
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