Britain’s Katie Boulter could not build on an excellent start as she lost to top Italian Jasmine Paolini in the last eight of the Merida Open.
Facing world number seven in Mexico, Boulter won the first set in 28 minutes without dropping a game.
But mistakes flowed in as Paolini won 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.
After winning just three points on her serve in the opening set, Paolini started the second strongly, holding for the first time and then breaking to take a 3-1 lead.
Boulter, who entered the match on the back of a seven-match winning streak that included claiming the Ostrava Open title, broke straight back to love, but neither player could serve in the next three matches.
It was Paolini who held her nerve to take the second set and level the match.
The 2024 Wimbledon and French Open finalist cruised to a 2-0 lead in the decider and although Boulter pulled away and held serve to lead 3-2, the Italian’s confidence grew as she won four games in a row to claim a place in the semi-finals.
“It was a very tough task, Katie. In the first set she smashed every ball and hit a winner everywhere,” Paolini told Sky Sports.
“I told myself I had to play deeper on the court and hit the ball harder because I had to raise the level to win the match and in the end I did.
‘I tried to stay calm and think about what to do. I think if you’re nervous, you can’t find the solutions.”
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