Dan Evans missed six match points in a painful second-round defeat by Miomir Kecmanovic at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
The British No 2 fought back from a set down and then recovered from 4-2 down in the deciding set against his Serbian opponent to leave himself serving for the match at 5-4.
Evans was 40-0 up and held three further match points in the same game but was unable to take any of them as Kecmanovic, who saved one chance with a between-the-legs shot, broke back.
The Serbian then had his own chance at 6-5, which Evans saved, only for Kecmanovic to win the final four points of the tie-break in a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (4) success.
“That was the first time that I was able to do that,” said Kecmanovic, who is ranked eight places below Evans at 33 in the world.
“I was completely tuned out of the match and I just went for it in that moment.”
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios fought back from a set down to defeat Kamil Majchrzak 3-6 6-2 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals, and fourth seed Frances Tiafoe was a 6-1 7-6 (7) winner over Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
