"I said it to him at the net, what he achieved is unbelievable" - When Roger Federer ended Novak Djokovic's 43-match unbeaten streak at French Open

Novak Djokovic made a perfect start to the 2011 season, aiming to extend his remarkable win streak at the French Open. However, Roger Federer dashed the Serb's hopes in their blockbuster semifinal clash.

Djokovic put together one of the greatest seasons in tennis history in 2011, winning 10 titles, including victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Notably, he ended the year with an impressive 10-1 win/loss record against arch-rivals Federer and Rafael Nadal.

After beginning the season with triumphs in Melbourne, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome, the Serb entered the French Open as the second seed, behind Nadal. He defeated the likes of Victor Hanescu, Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet to set up a highly anticipated semifinal clash against Federer.

The Swiss secured a 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory to book his place against Nadal in the final, snapping Djokovic's 43-match unbeaten streak since the 2010 Davis Cup Finals and his perfect 41-0 start to the season.

Roger Federer credited his extensive training for the win but also commended the Serb for delivering a stellar performance under immense pressure.

"I've trained a lot during my whole life for these kinds of matches. There was an enormous amount of pressure on Novak, and he really played well," Federer said as quoted by ESPN.

The Swiss lavished praise on Djokovic's "unbelievable" winning streak, disclosing that he had expressed the same sentiment to the Serb when they shook hands at the net.

"What I would like to say, and I said it to him at the net, is that his record, although it's not the best because other players have done better -- today it's so physical and professional -- what he achieved is unbelievable," he said.

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Novak Djokovic on 2011 French Open SF defeat to Roger Federer: "A loss cannot feel good, but I know what to do"

Novak Djokovic (right) and Roger Federer shake hands after French Open 2011 SF

Despite his defeat to Roger Federer in the semifinals of the 2011 French Open marking the end of his remarkable win streak, Novak Djokovic expressed his determination to accept the loss as any other.

"A loss cannot feel good. That's for sure. But, look, I know what to do. I handle myself better off the court, on the court. I'll just accept it as another loss," he said.

The Serb acknowledged Federer's strong serving performance during the contest and emphasized his intention not to dwell on the loss.

"He went for the shots when he needed to. He served really well when he needed to serve well. What happened, happened really. I cannot affect it anymore. In some moments I was lucky, in some moments he was lucky," he added.

Rafael Nadal beat Federer 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1 in the final to clinch his sixth French Open title.