British number one Katie Boulter suffered a straight-set defeat to top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the second round of the China Open.
Boulter was beaten 7-5 7-6 by Australian Open champion Sabalenka despite serving for both sets when leading 5-4.
She said, “I definitely left everything I had on the court.” “She played unbelievable tennis. I’m super happy that I was able to win this match.”
“I didn’t play my best the whole match, but the tie-breaker was definitely my best. These matches are going to make me tougher for the rest of the tournament and the rest of the season.”
Sabalenka, runner-up at the US Open in September, fought back to take the first set before the Belarusian sealed victory by winning six successive points in a dominant tie-break display.
World number one Sabalenka will next face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini for a place in the quarter-finals
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