Johanna Konta suffered a significant setback in her Wimbledon preparations when she lost in straight sets against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third round at Eastbourne.
The British No 1 will therefore enter Wimbledon having played only five grass-court matches, after being eliminated at the second-round stage in Birmingham last week. She led by a break in the first set before eventually succumbing to a 6-3, 6-2 defeat, missing out on a quarter-final place against Alizé Cornet.
Konta made a promising start against Jabeur, the world No 62, in moving 3-2 ahead but her opponent immediately broke back and seized the momentum to thereafter largely ease to victory. The British No 1 also played as though hesitant on a surface that had been rained on, and struggled to convince with her serve.
Konta, who during the clay-court season had reached two WTA finals and the last four of the French Open, is the 19th seed at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.
Dan Evans has progressed to the quarter-finals of the men’s competition after a straight-sets victory against Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France. He impressed in taking the first set 6-3 against the player scheduled to be Andy Murray’s doubles partner at Wimbledon. Evans will play Kyle Edmund after the British No 1 beat Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-2.
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