Caroline Wozniacki offered no excuses after becoming the latest seed to be sent packing at Melbourne Park, conceding the better player won as she was knocked out by two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.
Wozniacki – seeded eighth - had no answer to the former world number one's aggressive style in a 6-4 6-2 defeat on Margaret Court Arena.
Thursday's loss marked the first time Denmark's Wozniacki – a semi-finalist in 2011 - had failed to make it past the second round in Melbourne since debuting at the grand slam in 2008.
The 24-year-old said she was outplayed by her close friend, who missed most of last year due to injury.
"I wish I would have won," Wozniacki told a media conference. "You can always look back and say, I wish I'd done this, I wish I'd taken this break-point, taken advantage at 30-Love.
"At the end of the day she played better than me and hats off to that. I just need to go back and work hard.
"[It's] early, still beginning of the year. So [I] still have 10 months to make up for this. Hopefully it's still going to be a good year."
It was not the draw Wozniacki had been hoping for, with Azarenka's injury-ravaged 2014 season meaning she was unseeded for the year's opening grand slam.
"There's always a little bit of luck in the draw. Sometimes on paper it looks tougher, but it's opponents you like to play," Wozniacki added.
"Sometimes it looks easy, but it's someone maybe you don't feel comfortable playing.
"At the end of the day ... you can see there's been so many upsets. There's nothing that comes easy. But at the same time, you know, I'm sure I could have had it a little bit easier."