Crashing out: BaltachaElena Baltacha missed out on an expected third round meeting with defending champion Kim Clijsters when she was sent packing from the US Open by Petra Kvitova.
The British number one lost 7-6, 6-2 to this year's surprise Wimbledon semi-finalist after running out of momentum following a desperately tight opener.
Beginning late in the afternoon when the most fierce heat had passed, Baltacha gave as good as she got against the flashy Czech lefthander.
Kvitova, who came from nowhere at the All England Club, had lost five straight first round since Wimbledon prior to this week, but there was no sign of any loss of confidence.
After early breaks were exchanged they moved towards a tiebreak, in which the world number 29 was always marginally ahead before clinching it 7-5. Baltacha could never quite match her power and decisive break came at 2-3 in the second set when she was broken to fifteen.
The consolation for the British number one is that she will end up either just inside or outside the top fifty when the next rankings are published, although it will frustrate her that she remains unable to go deep into a Grand Slam field.
source: dailymail
