Roger Federer, who crashed out of the ongoing US Open

London, Sep 4 Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, who crashed out of the ongoing US Open, said that his pre-quarters conflict against Australian player John Millman was "intense."

"I thought the match was intense. I wish I could have driven two sets to love and after that possibly the match would be extraordinary and I would discover a way. Since I had my odds the distance till the end. It was simply intense," ATP cited Federer, as saying.

Crediting Millman for his exceptional performance in the match, the 37-year-old said that his opponent is an intense player and has a positive manner about himself on and off the court.

He further recommended the world number 55 to play similarly while going up against Serbian player Novak Djokovic in the quarter-last round.

"I love his intensity. He helps me to remember David Ferrer and those other guys that I appreciate a lot when I see them; when I see how they train and the passion they have for the amusement. He has a positive aura about himself on and off the court. I believe he has an awesome strike that he can protect very well down the line and cross-court," Federer said.

"When you attack there in the wrong way, he will rebuff you each time for it. He has choices, now particularly where it's a bit slower, to return in and return back. I think against Novak, he simply needs to convey it again and try to worry Novak," he included.

Reflecting on the climatic condition, which was apparently hot during the match, Federer said that he struggled a lot because of the excessive heat on the day.

"I just thought it was very hot tonight. It was just one of those nights where I guess I believed I couldn't get air. There was no circulation at all. For reasons unknown, I just struggled in the conditions tonight. It's one of the first times it's happened to me," he said.

Federer suffered his earliest loss in a Grand Slam event since his third-round exit at the 2015 Australian Open.

He was thrashed 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) by his Australian partner in a thrilling round of 16 clash