Monday 28 September 2015 13:06, UK
Heather Watson's run at the Wuhan Open came to an end after bowing out to Jelena Jankovic in the first round on Monday, meaning Johanna Konta will replace her as the new British No 1.
Watson, the world No 59, came through two rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw of the WTA event, but despite saving four match points, the 25th-ranked Serb eventually won through 6-3 2-6 6-3.
Former world No 1 Jankovic came into the match on the back of victory at the Guangzhou International on Saturday and the experienced 30-year-old will now be aiming to land back-to-back titles.
In what was the pair's first meeting, Jankovic reeled off six straight games in the first set to bounce back from being 3-0 down, as Watson was made to pay for not taking her chance to pull four ahead.
Regardless, Watson produced the goods in the second set to take it 6-2, striking five aces in the process, with her opponent double-faulting three times.
It set up a tasty decider but unfortunately for Watson she was broken in the second game, and though she battled well on the Jankovic serve she could not prevent her opponent from taking a 3-0 lead.
An errant backhand from Watson made it 4-0 to Jankovic before the Briton finally served her way to a game at 5-1.
Watson then saved four match points on the Jankovic serve in winning the second of three straight games to come back to 5-3, but the Serb recovered quickly enough and sealed the match with a backhand winner.
Konta now remains the last Briton standing. The 24-year-old takes on Belarusian Victoria Azarenka for a spot in the third round following her victory over world No 17 Andrea Petkovic on Sunday - her second successive win over the German after beating her at this year's US Open at Flushing Meadows.
Eugenie Bouchard withdrew from the tournament because of the concussion she sustained during the US Open. The Canadian said she's "frustrated and disappointed" that she won't be able to compete.
Italy's Roberta Vinci fought back to beat qualifier Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 5-7 6-1 6-3 in her first match since falling to countrywoman Flavia Pannetta in the final of the US Open.
The 15th-seeded Vinci was broken three times in the opening set, but picked up her game to win the next two sets and the match in just under two hours.
In other matches, ninth-seeded Ana Ivanovic defeated Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1 6-3, and Sloane Stephens beat countrywoman Alison Riske 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, while Madison Brengle defeated former Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-4.
Eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, who had a bye in the first round, defeated Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia 7-6 (4), 5-7, 7-6 (5) in the second round.
