Dan Evans was beaten in the last 16 of the Adelaide International as Alexander Bublik came from behind to defeat the British number two.
After starting well to claim the first set, Evans was then broken to go 4-2 down in the second and he would secure only one of the games that followed as Kazakhstan’s Bublik surged to a 4-6 6-2 6-1 win.
Evans, returning to action at this tournament after his 2023 campaign was ended prematurely by a calf injury, had beaten Australian Rinky Hijikata in straight sets in the previous round.
The 33-year-old will be unseeded at a grand slam for the first time since 2019 at the Australian Open, with the draw taking place in Melbourne on Thursday.
British number four Jack Draper is through to the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International after saving two match points in a comeback win over Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
Draper will face American Tommy Paul in the last eight after bouncing back from going a set down to earn a marathon 5-7 7-6 (9) 7-6 (7) victory in three hours and 39 minutes.
