Heather Watson is out of the Australian Open after losing to Elise Mertens in the second round.
The 27-year-old showed her ability to compete with the 16th seed in the first set, breaking early on to take a 2-1 lead.
But when Mertens found her groove, there was no going back and the Belgian streamlined her way through the second to seal a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 victory in just 55 minutes on Court 22.
Watson was only one of the few remaining Britons at the Australian Open following a host of early departures including Dan Evans and Johanna Konta in the second round.
There were high hopes that Watson, ranked 75th in the world, could make her mark against Mertens after an impressive win over Kristyna Pliskova in the previous encounter.
But it was Mertens who dominated throughout, especially in the second set where she needed only 26 minutes to wrap up a second-set bagel.
It leaves Harriet Dart as the only remaining Briton in either singles draw as she prepares to face Simona Halep in her clash on Thursday.
