Emma Raducanu failed to get three match points again as Jessica Pegula was beaten 6-3 6-7 (9-11) 6-0 in a tough last 32 games at the China Open.
Britain’s No. 1, lost to Barbora Krejcikova in a similar way earlier this month, a match lasting two hours and 21 minutes.
Meanwhile, after defeating the Maya United team in Beijing, Briton Sonay Kartal advanced to 16 rounds.
Raducanu ranked 32nd in the world, taking control of the second player in Game 2, the first set of Pegula, the world’s seventh-placed Pegula – usually Americans would yell at frustration and throw her racket to the floor in Game 5.
Pegula went on to save two breakout points, then she won three match points – two with backhand winners, and the other in Raducanu serving – and then dominated in the third set.
“It’s a crazy game,” said Pegula, who will meet Marta Kostyuk in the last 16 times after beating Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4 6-2.
“That’s really intense. I’ve got myself into victory and just wanted to keep the pressure on me.
“Honestly, I think I’m lucky for two of the two backhand winners, but other than that, I just want to keep fighting as much as I can.”
