Great Britain have no players left in the singles competitions of the Miami Open owing to Katie Boulter's fourth-round exit to Victoria Azarenka.
The San Diego Open champion - entering the Masters tournament as the 24th seed on account of reaching her highest world ranking to date - fought valiantly in the first set but was subsequently blown away in the second.
Boulter went down 5-7 1-6 to the former world number one in one hour and 46 minutes, although a last-16 exit in Florida still represents the 27-year-old's best performance at a Masters tournament to date.
After falling 5-2 down in the opening set, Boulter saved three set points to hold in the eighth game and continued her renaissance with a break to 30 in the ninth, before managing to draw level at 5-5.
However, the British number one's fightback was stopped in its tracks by Azarenka, who managed to beat away a break point for Boulter in the 11th game before the 24th seed lost serve to love while trying to stay in the set.
An upset of epic proportions 😯
— wta (@WTA) March 26, 2024
Ekaterina Alexandrova scores a 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiatek, ending her hopes of a second Sunshine Double!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/l0L1azSywu
With the wind knocked out of her, Boulter was blown away by the Belarusian in the second set, quickly falling 5-0 down on account of two losses of serve before belatedly getting on the board with a hold to 15.
The Briton went down swinging, though, as she saved two match points before Azarenka converted her third to advance to the quarter-finals, where Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva awaits.
The latter's compatriot Elena Rybakina also made it through to the last eight thanks to a 6-3 7-5 success over the USA's Madison Keys, but two of the top three seeds fell on an evening of shocks.
World number one Iga Swiatek - aiming for a sunshine double after her triumph over Maria Sakkari in the Indian Wells Masters final - was the victim of a 4-6 2-6 upset at the hands of Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Meanwhile, reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff was bested 3-6 6-1 2-6 by Caroline Garcia, while 19th seed Sorana Cirstea fell to a 3-6 2-6 loss at the hands of the USA's Danielle Collins.
Ben Knapton
