Eugenie Bouchard has been sent crashing out of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6(5)-7 7-5 6-4 defeat to the unseeded Lesia Tsurenko in the fourth round at Indian Wells.
Unforced errors were the story of the first set, with the two players twice trading breaks as Tsurenko wasted the chance to capitalise on an opening.
The back and forth nature of the match continued in the tie-breaker, and it was Bouchard who held her nerve to take the opener with a 7-5 success.
Bouchard's struggles on serve were clear once again in the next set as Tsurenko launched an attacking approach, but both players were vulnerable as four more breaks were evenly shared.
However, it was the Ukrainian who hit back in impressive style as she converted set point at the third attempt to force the match into a decider.
Neither player looked to be fully fit in the latter stages of the match as five of the first six games ended with breaks, but sixth seed Bouchard remained just ahead, despite producing one of her poorest serving displays in recent memory.
However, Bouchard continued to offer up chances and Tsurenko capitalised to get back on serve at 4-4.
That would prove to be the turning point as Tsurenko survived four break points before clinching the victory in the 10th game to send Bouchard out of the tournament.
Callum Mulvihill
