Katie Boulter beaten by Aryna Sabalenka to leave Jo Konta as the only Brit standing in Australian Open singles draws
- Katie Boulter exits Australian Open after straight-sets loss to Aryna Sabalenka
- British hope was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by the Belarusian No 11 seed in Melbourne
- It means that Jo Konta is the only remaining Brit in the singles draw
Jo Konta is the only British player left in the Australian Open singles draw after Katie Boulter exited to 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Boulter was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by her Belarusian opponent in Melbourne not long after Dan Evans became the final Briton to fall in the men’s draw.
The 22-year-old Boulter had recorded a memorable win over 2015 semi-finalist Ekaterina Makarova in the first round on Monday but found the world No 11 a much tougher challenge.
Britain’s Katie Boulter is out of the Australian Open after losing to 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka celebrates winning a point during her second-round match with Boulter
Boulter celebrates winning a point during the second round match but ultimately lost
Sabalenka’s strength on the serve put Boulter regularly on the back foot and her powerful shots earned breaks in the sixth game of the first set and the third game of the second.
She will now play 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova in the third round and urged all Boulter’s fans to get behind her from now on.
‘I’d like to ask all the guys supporting her [Boulter] that they should come to support me in the next match,’ she said.
‘I just focus on each match. We will see. Who knows what will happen.
‘I just want to be better with every match and improve on all things.’