British number one Katie Boulter double-faulted her way out of the French Open in an error-strewn second-round defeat by Madison Keys.
Boulter endured a nightmare debut on an eerily quiet Court Philippe-Chatrier, with the arena almost empty after most of the crowd left following Jannik Sinner's win over Richard Gasquet and the Frenchman's subsequent retirement party.
Beating Australian Open champion Keys, the seventh seed, was always going to be a big ask for Boulter, but the American did not have to work hard for three of her breaks of serve.
Boulter coughed up double-faults on two break points in the first set, and did the same at the start of the second.
Another double-fault gave Keys her next break point, which she converted with a punishing forehand.
The 28-year-old served up nine in total in a demoralising 6-1 6-3 defeat in an hour and 19 minutes.
It will probably be just as quiet over the dinner table tonight as Boulter's boyfriend Alex De Minaur was watching from the stands not long after blowing a two-set lead to lose in five to Alexander Bublik.
"I feel like I could have done better," she said. "I think almost every service game I hit a double-fault, which I've done before and kind of bounced back.
"That's the difference with these players. When they gain a little bit of confidence, they start swinging free a little bit more.
"Ultimately they're going to try to put you away as quickly as possible. They've got that number by their name for that reason."
That's the difference with these players. When they gain a little bit of confidence, they start swinging free a little bit more
Boulter was the last British woman standing after Emma Raducanu's trouncing by Iga Swiatek on Wednesday and Sonay Kartal's defeat by Marie Bouzkova in the first match on Thursday.
Kartal, the British number three, had dropped only two games in dispatching Erika Andreeva in the first round, but Czech world number 47 Bouzkova proved too big a step up in class in a 6-1 6-4 victory.
Kartal made a tentative start with a double fault gifting Bouzkova a break of serve in the opening game.
The 23-year-old found herself four games down before she held to at least get on the board.
A superb Kartal forehand down the line brought up three break points, but she was unable to convert any of them.
Another double fault gifted Bouzkova the first set and summed up a pretty miserable 40 minutes of tennis from Kartal.
A strange second set featured seven breaks of serve, with both players tightening up badly.
Kartal bravely saved four match points but she floated a backhand wide on the fifth to signal the end of her tournament.
The Londoner can at least console herself with a place in the top 50 for the first time in her career after a fine season so far.
"That was my end-of-year goal," she said. "It's something I'm proud of and something I wanted to hit. I'll look to try and stay there now. That would be the new goal."
