Former semifinalist Johanna Konta is out of the Australian Open after losing her first-round match to Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday. It was the 28-year-old British player’s second match since last year’s U.S. Open after being sidelined with a chronic tendinitis-related injury in her right knee.
Konta was broken in the final game of the opening set, broke back in the opening game of the second but Jabeur broke Konta in her next two service games and again in the final game of the match.
Konta lost in the first round of the Brisbane International three weeks ago and later pulled out of the Adelaide International in an attempt to manage her knee problem.
The Sydney-born Konta advanced to the semifinals at Melbourne Park in 2016. She lost to Jabeur the last time they played at Eastbourne in 2019.
The match was carried over from Monday when torrential rain suspended all play on outside courts from mid-afternoon.
