Konta and Edmund つまずく at first 障害物 in Melbourne
Former 半分-finalists Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund have both been 除去するd from the Australian Open in the first 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.
It was an inauspicious start to a day where six British players were scheduled to be in 活動／戦闘 at Melbourne Park, hoping to join Dan Evans in the second 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.
Konta, who reached the 半分-決勝戦 four years ago, （機の）カム into the tournament as the 12th seed but with 期待s tempered by the fact she had only played one match since a ４半期/4分の1-final 出口 at the US Open in 早期に September.
A 膝 傷害 curtailed her season and Konta 明らかにする／漏らすd last month that she might not even make the trip 負かす／撃墜する Under.
She will be 長，率いるing home a lot sooner than she would have hoped after going 負かす／撃墜する 6-4 6-2 to Tunisian world number 78 Ons Jabeur, who has the type of 予測できない game that even a match-tight Konta finds hard to を取り引きする.
The 28-year-old had always made at least the second 一連の会議、交渉／完成する in four previous 外見s in the main draw at Melbourne Park, while this is the first time since a second-一連の会議、交渉／完成する loss to Garbine Muguruza here 12 months ago that she has not reached at least the ４半期/4分の1-決勝戦 of a 激突する.
Konta took solace in the fact her 膝 is much 改善するd and felt she paid for a 欠如（する） of matches.
She said: “It’s an unfortunate thing. It’s part of the sport and it’s part of also the way I play, and it’s something that will come with time and matches.
“I think 最終的に the main thing was to start playing again, and I am. And how I 肉体的に felt out there is 明白に a 大規模な tick for me compared to where I was in September of last year.
“I think giving myself that time to find a level that I want to play is going to be important. And I also played a very good 対抗者. So it’s not all on my ゆすり.
Johanna Konta 苦しむd a 6-4 6-2 敗北・負かす to Tunisian world number 78 Ons Jabeur (Dita Alangkara/AP)
“I knew that by taking a 決定／判定勝ち（する） to come play here, I was 開始 myself up to 潜在的に it not going 井戸／弁護士席 or for it to be difficult.”
Konta must now decide where to play next, and she may 捜し出す a wild card into the St Petersburg トロフィー, which begins two days after Britain’s Fed Cup play-off against Slovakia.
The British number one said she would not 再考する her 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 行方不明になる the tie in Bratislava on February 7-8.
Edmund had a 堅い draw against in-form 24th seed Dusan Lajovic but had led 5-2 when the rain arrived on Monday.
Lajovic won three st raight games on the 再開 though, and took the 開始 始める，決める on a tie-break to the delight of his noisy Serbian fans.
The match continued to be の近くに but any 微光s for Edmund were 消すd out by Lajovic, who 完全にするd the victory with a running forehand 勝利者.
Edmund has now lost in the first 一連の会議、交渉／完成する on both his visits to Melbourne Park since making the last four in 2018.
The British number three said: “最終的に it’s disappointing because I’m out of the tournament. From his point of 見解（をとる）, I thought he was playing pretty 井戸／弁護士席, at a high level, 終始一貫して.
Kyle Edmund was knocked out on Tuesday (Victoria Jones/PA)
“普通は, in the past, he’s given away a little bit more cheap points. But today he was good. And I just 設立する that he was 存在 a bit more proactive than me. I didn’t come out sharp enough.”
Edmund will look to 押し進める his 最高位の up from its 現在の 示す of 65 支援する into the 最高の，を越す 50 and beyond, with few 最高位の points to defend after his disappointing 2019.
He said: “I feel like I am playing better than I was this time last year. And even the way I finished at the end of the year, I was in a good place.
“I want to be playing better and winning more matches. They are not coming at the minute. I have to keep going. I don’t think I am too far away.?I believe that I can do it again.”
