Lucie Safarova: I'll come back stronger from French Open final loss

Lucie Safarova has vowed to work even harder to achieve her dream of winning a grand slam title after losing an enthralling French Open final to Serena Williams in three sets.

Czech Safarova enjoyed a fine run to the final at Roland Garros, but was beaten at the last as Williams collected her 20th major title with a 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 victory on Saturday.

Safarova, seeded 13th, appeared to be heading for a swift defeat when she trailed 4-1 in the second set and found herself 40-15 down in game six, but the 28-year-old put up a brave fight to take the match into a decider.

The fightback proved in vain, though, as Williams' quality shone through.

"I promise I will compete hard to be even better," Safarova said at the post-match presentation.

"It's [defeat] so hard. It's been a great two weeks here for me. I have so many emotions and I had many beautiful wins."

Despite her disappointment, Safarova was humble in defeat and paid tribute to world number one Williams.

She added: "Serena, you were amazing. You're a great fighter and amazing player, so congratulations.

"I would like to say a big thank you to the player box right there, to all my family and friends. They were with me in good and bad times.

"Most importantly, I had such amazing support from the fans throughtout the years and especially during the last two weeks. It's been a pleasure to play here, thank you for being with me."