Katie Boulter admitted the opening set against Belinda Bencic proved "really tough" as she crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round.
The former British number one suffered a 6-0 7-5 defeat to the Swiss 10th seed at Margaret Court Arena, losing the first set in a mere 26 minutes.
"It was a really tough first set," Boulter said.
"I felt like she has such a unique playing style that it took me a moment to kind of adjust and get used to how she hits the ball."
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Despite the bagel, the 29-year-old demonstrated considerably more resilience in the second set, holding serve from the outset and making Bencic work far harder for victory.
Boulter's Melbourne exit caps a challenging 2025 campaign that saw her world ranking tumble beyond the top 100.
The British player needed other competitors to withdraw late from the tournament simply to secure her place in the main draw and bypass qualifying.
Katie Boulter found it tough as her hopes of Australian Open glory ended in disaster
|GETTY
Ahead of the new season, she brought in Michael Joyce, who previously guided Maria Sharapova, as her new coach.
Before facing Bencic, Boulter had been refreshingly candid about her modest expectations.
"I'm just going to go out and swing," she said.
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Five facts for tennis fans | GETTY/PA"I really don't think there's any pressure. I don't think there's anyone in this room that thinks I'm going to win that match."
The Melbourne crowd embraced Boulter as one of their own, serenading her with chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" throughout the contest.
Her connection to Australia stems from her engagement to Alex de Minaur, the world number six and home nation's leading hope at the tournament, who watched from courtside.
After being broken in the second set, Boulter responded immediately by claiming her first break of Bencic's serve to draw level at 4-4.
However, the former Olympic champion regained the upper hand, breaking the Briton once more to move ahead 6-5 before closing out the match on her own serve.
Belinda Bencic was too strong for Katie Boulter in their Australian Open showdown
|GETTY
Boulter acknowledged that Bencic had simply outclassed her on the day, though she took encouragement from her improved second-set display.
"She ultimately was a class above me," Boulter reflected. "I felt like I was in with a shot in the second and definitely could be playing out there in the third. I think that is my takeaway from it. There are some definite positives. But a lot to learn from."
Bencic arrived in Melbourne in formidable form, having triumphed in all five singles matches at the United Cup to reclaim a top-10 ranking for the first time since March 2023.
The Swiss star achieved this remarkable comeback less than two years after welcoming daughter Bella in April 2024.