Johanna Konta has suffered a three-set defeat to Katerina Siniakova in the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open.
The British number one had been hoping to start 2017 with a second career title but she was edged out by the 20-year-old from the Czech Republic.
Konta had made a blistering start to the match as she took the opening set in just 22 minutes, and she appeared on course for the final when she went 4-2 up in the second.
However, Siniakova - the world number 52 - stormed back to take the contest into a decider before seeing out a 1-6 6-4 6-4 win.
The 25-year-old will remain in 10th place in the latest WTA standings when they are announced on Monday.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
