Reeling from a bad defeat is always a tough pill to swallow for any elite athlete.
Women's national No 3 squash player Rachel Arnold (pic) is, however, taking it in her stride as she looks to absorb the positives from her recent outing at the SRAM PSA 1 event.
The World No 44 had a tournament to forget as she blew a two-game lead to lose 10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9 to Aifa Azman in the semi-finals.
The 19-year-old Aifa won the title by beating Ooi Kah Yan for her eighth Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour triumph.
And while disappointed, Rachel is not taking too long to wallow in defeat as she looks to use the setback as a springboard to push on for the season.
"It was definitely a tough defeat to take in because I came from 9-2 down in the third game and even held two match balls at one point," admitted Rachel.
"I think this being my first tournament in a long time was a factor as I didn't handle the pressure quite well, especially during crucial points.
"But I do see the improvements in my game, and I think it's still a good start for me as I try to focus on what is coming next.
"Ultimately, I want to learn from this defeat. I want to move on and do better in the coming tournaments.
"Furthermore, as a senior in the national team, I think the younger girls are also showing a lot of promise, and there is certainly some real potential there.
"It's also important that they are progressing because that will keep me on my toes. There is a lot of room for improvement on my part too.
"If all things go well, my next tournament should be next month's El Gouna International in Egypt. I am definitely excited to have a chance to get back on tour and compete with the rest of the girls."
The El Gouna meet is tentatively scheduled on May 20-28.
Meanwhile, Rachel also had an extra reason to smile despite her recent loss after celebrating her 25th birthday last Friday.
"It certainly feels a little surreal turning 25 as I'm now much closer to 30," joked Rachel.
"But this year is a little special to me because I didn't get to celebrate my birthday last year due to Covid-19. I did get a small celebration with my family this time."