Britain’s Katie Boulter suffered an early exit from the Wuhan Open after losing 3-6, 1-6 to Russia’s Diana Shnaider in the first round on Tuesday.
World number 13 Shnaider dominated the contest to secure victory in one hour and 30 minutes, ending the campaign of Boulter, who is ranked 54th in the world.
Boulter put up a competitive fight in the opening set but struggled to hold her serve in the second, losing it four times as Shnaider pulled away to seal the match in straight sets.
The defeat extends a difficult spell for the British player, who has managed only three wins in nine WTA Tour singles matches since her first-round exit at Wimbledon in June. She has also recorded just two victories across the four Grand Slam tournaments this season.
The match came amid a difficult personal period for Boulter following the death of her grandfather, Brian, last week. She had described the period as a tough week in a social media tribute before competing in Wuhan.
Shnaider, meanwhile, advanced to the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament with a convincing win over the British number one.
