British number one Katie Boulter has been knocked out of the Ningbo Open in straight sets by Beatriz Haddad Maia.
World number 10 Haddad Maia completed a 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 victory to reach the quarter-finals, where she will play Spain’s Paula Badosa.
The sixth seed dominated a first set tie-break following an even start and then broke Boulter in the 11th game of set two before holding serve to win the match.
It is a first loss to Brazil’s Haddad Maia in four meetings for the 28-year-old Briton, who beat Sara Errani in her opening match after exiting the Wuhan Open in the first round last week.
Boulter, who has three career singles titles, is ranked 35th in the world, having achieved a career-high ranking of 27 in March.
Elsewhere on Thursday, Britain’s Dan Evans faces American Frances Tiafoe in the second round of the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan.
