After fighting off a match point against Bernarda Pera and advancing to the third round, Daria Gavrilova was no match for Belgium’s Elise Mertens. The Australian losing 6-3, 6-1.
Australia’s only other singles representative, Sam Stosur also was bundled out in the third round in a one side match. Stosur lost to 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza 6-0, 6-2.
Stosur the 2010 runner-up had reached the third round for the 10th straight year only to be outclassed by the Spanish player.
Gavrilova put up little resistance against the player that defeated her at the 2018 Australian Open in a drama-charged match, that loss coming after Gavrilova let a 5-0 first set lead slip when not able to convert on eight set points.
Another disappointing campaign on clay for the Australian players. Not one male singles player reached the second round, and it was just Stosur and Gavrilova who reached the third round of the women’s singles draw. Ash Barty lost in the second round to Serena Williams.
