The former US Open champion Sloane Stephens was bundled out of the Brisbane International in the first round by Britain’s Johanna Konta. A 2016 Australian Open semi-finalist, world No 37 Konta upset third-seeded American Stephens 6-4, 6-3 in under two hours to book a second round clash with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. World No 46 Tomljanovic began her Brisbane campaign with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Czech Katerina Siniakova.

Contesting the Brisbane event for the first time in five years, world No 6 Stephens began sluggishly against Konta in their first career meeting and was punished for a string of unforced errors. The 2017 US Open winner Stephens’ only respite came at 1-0 down in the second set when play was suspended for several minutes when a member of the crowd was treated for a medical issue. Stephens, 25, had hoped to pick up where she left off in 2018 after entering a new season ranked in the world’s top 10 for the first time. However, shemust now reload at next week’s Sydney International in her final hit-out before the opening grand slam in Melbourne.

It marked the 27-year-old Konta’s 15th career victory over a top 10 opponent and first since knocking over world No 2 Simona Halep at 2017 Wimbledon.

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Australian No 2 Daria Gavrilova also had an early exit – the world No 35 bowed out 6-3, 6-3 in her first round clash with eighth-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.

Meanwhile Samantha Stosur’s woeful record in Australia continued on Monday after she was eliminated in the first round of the Brisbane International. The Gold Coast local crashed to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Czech world No 139 Marie Bouzkova at Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday in a worrying result ahead of the Australian Open as she pursues her first win since 2015.

The 34-year-old appeared set for a rare home soil victory after a strong opening set when she responded to being broken in the third game by breaking back twice. But the 74th-ranked Stosur, who last reached the second round of her home tournament in 2016, fell away when qualifier Bouzkova hit her straps on serve. Bouzkova was unstoppable in the final two sets, losing just two points on her first serve as wildcard Stosur was left to rue being broken in the opening game of the second set after saving five break points.

“If I was able to hold that game, you never know. Maybe that gave her a bit of a sniff,” she said. In nine visits to Brisbane, Stosur has not been beyond the second round.

The former US Open champion will contest the Sydney International next week as she continues to tune up for Melbourne Park, where she has lost in the first round in her past three attempts and not made the third round since 2014. She has a slightly better record at Homebush, reaching at least the second round in three of her last four visits.

Under new coach Nick Watkins, Stosur indicated this week she had taken a fresh approach to hardcourt - her lesser preferred surface to clay - in the off-season. She was unperturbed by her form in the first-round loss as she irons out her game. “It’s not a total disaster,” she said. “She played well. I’m still really happy with quite a few things that I did out there and feel like I’ve still taken a step in the right direction.”