Wimbledon 2018: British No.1 Johanna Konta exits at second round stage

Johanna Konta lost to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova. Picture: AFP/Getty

The British number one is now in danger of dropping out of the world’s top 50 after a chastening 6-3 6-4 second-round loss.

Konta was ranked fourth in the world after her run to the semi-finals at last year’s championships, but her form has nosedived since and that slump continued on Centre Court.

In fairness it was a tough second-round draw for Konta.

Slovakian Cibulkova would have been seeded 32nd, and therefore not in Konta’s sights just yet, had Wimbledon not decided to grant Serena Williams a place among the seeds.

Yet Konta has beaten Cibulkova in their two previous meetings, both on hard courts, and should have have had the tools to dispatch her on the grass.

Konta was never allowed to find her rhythm, though, with Cibulkova simply not allowing her to settle.

The first break came in the sixth game, Konta having already saved one break point with a fantastic get which skimmed along the net cord, only for a shank and a long forehand to hand Cibulkova the initiative.

Rather than imposing her game on Cibulkova, the 22nd seed was being worked all round the court by her opponent.

Having surrendered the first set, Konta was broken again early in the second, Cibulkova coming out on top after another ferocious rally to secure the advantage.

Konta forced a break point of her own, but netted it, and it was the last sniff of a chance she was given.

The Briton saved four match points on her own serve, but Cibulkova merely finished the job to love and will meet 15th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in the third round.