Johanna Konta’s Wimbledon prep hit by Eastbourne exit

EASTBOURNE: Johanna Konta suffered a significant setback in her preparations for Wimbledon when she lost in straight sets to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third round at Eastbourne.

The British number one will therefore enter Wimbledon having played only four grass-court matches, after also being eliminated at the second-round stage in Birmingham last week. She led by a break in the first set before eventually succumbing to a 6-3 6-2 defeat, missing out on a quarter-final clash against Alize Cornet.

Konta made a promising start against Jabeur, the world number 62, in moving 3-2 ahead but her opponent immediately broke back and seized the momentum to thereafter largely ease

to victory.

He also played as though hesitant on a surface that had been rained on, and struggled to convince with her serve.Konta, who during the clay-court season had reached two WTA finals and the final four of the French Open, is the 19th seed at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.