Johanna Konta has bowed out of the Italian Open at the third-round stage after losing in three sets to Venus Williams.
The British number one had been hoping to prepare for the French Open with a run to the latter stages in Rome, but Williams was able to end her three-match losing streak against Konta to prevail 6-1 3-6 6-1.
After dropping her opening service game, Konta soon became frustrated and she lost the first set having recorded just six points behind her own delivery.
However, the sixth seed bounced back in the second as she took one of her five break-point opportunities to take the contest into a decider.
She could not maintain her momentum, however, and after she again began to struggle on serve again, Williams was able to capitalise and the American ran out a convincing winner in one hour and 49 minutes.
Darren Plant
