British number one Heather Watson was sent packing in the first round of the Prague Open after being edged out by Polona Hercog of Slovenia.
Hercog battled hard throughout the match and took more than three hours to defeat the Brit with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) victory.
Watson, who clinched her second WTA title in January, was outclassed by a player who is ranked 32 places below her at No.72 in the world rankings.
The match was already a close one from the first set, though Hercog clinched it 7-5, before Watson bounced back to level it by winning the second set 6-3.
In the final-set, the 22-year-old was initially 3-0 up before Hercog battled back to break her three times, and seal her spot in the second round, thanks to a 7-6 (7-5) win. .
The win allowed her to set up a second round tie against Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova, who defeated Romania’s Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.
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