Emma Raducanu's first match in almost a month ended in a comprehensive defeat to Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the Stuttgart Open.
In a showdown between two former Grand Slam champions, Ostapenko overpowered and outclassed Raducanu to win 6-2 6-1 in just 58 minutes.
Raducanu opted against competing for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers to focus on the clay-court tournament, but the writing was on the wall when she lost four of the first five games against a ruthless Ostapenko.
As was the case in the first set, Raducanu opened the second with a straightforward hold, but she was soon blown away by her counterpart, being broken to love twice in a six-game losing streak.
The Briton brought up just one break point in the sixth game of the second set, which was beaten away by Ostapenko before she converted her first match point with a powerful forehand into the corner.
The two-set defeat marks a third successive loss for Raducanu, who was beaten by Bianca Andreescu in the first round of March's Miami Open after an Indian Wells last-16 elimination at the hands of Iga Swiatek.
Ostapenko, who won the 2017 French Open at the age of 20, will take on two-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur in the second round. body check tags ::
