Defending champion Julia Goerges suffered a bruising defeat to Anett Kontaveit at the WTA Elite Trophy in China on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The fifth seed took a nasty tumble mid-way through the match, which she went on to lose 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 after more than two hours.&nbsp;

Kontaveit, the tournament tenth seed, started brightly, breaking the world no. 14 three times to take the opening set.

Goerges, 29, fell heavily on to the hard court in the sixth game of the second set, and needed to ice her right leg during the changeover.

Clearly slightly rattled, the German nevertheless dug deep to claim the set, pumping her fist and gesturing to her coach as she celebrated.

However, it was the 22-year-old Estonian Kontaveit who won the decider at the Hengqin International Tennis Center.

World no. 20 Kontaveit has now played both her round robin matches, after losing on Tuesday to Belgium's Elise Mertens, who will play Goerges later in the tournament.

Now in its fourth year the Elite Trophy features 12 players ranked roughly from nine to 20. This year's total prize money is $2.35 million across the singles and doubles tournaments.

Defending champion Julia Goerges suffered a bruising defeat to Anett Kontaveit at the WTA Elite Trophy in China on Wednesday. The fifth seed took a nasty tumble mid-way through the match, which she went on to lose 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 after more than two hours.

Defending champion Julia Goerges suffered a bruising defeat to Anett Kontaveit at the WTA Elite Trophy in China on Wednesday. The fifth seed took a nasty tumble mid-way through the match, which she went on to lose 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 after more than two hours. Kontaveit, the tournament tenth seed, started brightly, breaking the world no. 14 three times to take the opening set. Goerges, 29, fell heavily on to the hard court in the sixth game of the second set, and needed to ice her right leg during the changeover. Clearly slightly rattled, the German nevertheless dug deep to claim the set, pumping her fist and gesturing to her coach as she celebrated. However, it was the 22-year-old Estonian Kontaveit who won the decider at the Hengqin International Tennis Center. World no. 20 Kontaveit has now played both her round robin matches, after losing on Tuesday to Belgium's Elise Mertens, who will play Goerges later in the tournament. Now in its fourth year the Elite Trophy features 12 players ranked roughly from nine to 20. This year's total prize money is $2.35 million across the singles and doubles tournaments.

Kontaveit downs defending champion Julia Goerges in Zhuhai

Slovakia`s Magdalena Rybarikova clinched her first victory of the WTA Elite Trophy on Wednesday, beating top seed Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 1-6 7-6(5) in a thrilling encounter lasting two hours and 48 minutes.

Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent.

The 29-year-old ranked 22 in the world, struggled with injury during the majority of the second set, and after ceding a 4-1 lead, took a medical timeout.

Mladenovic, unaffected by the break, raced to a second set win, in which she hit 13 winners and only five unforced errors.

The players exchanged early breaks in the final set but Rybarikova clinched the decisive lead in the tiebreak, before sealing the victory on her seventh match point.

&quot;I am happy that I went through this match because conditions were tough and I had some problems with my leg,&quot; Rybarikova said after the match.&nbsp;

&quot;I was saying to myself that I had to win this match because I had so many match points and it would be really cruel to end the season like this.&quot;

Rybarikova improved her record in the Azalea Group to 1-1 after dropping her first match to Julia Goerges on Tuesday.

Mladenovic will now have to beat Goerges in their match later in the week to have any chances to reach the final four.

Australia`s Ashleigh Barty moved to the top of the Rose Group with a convincing 6-4 6-1 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Barty broke the Russian`s serve four times and served nine aces in the victory and will qualify for the semi-finals outright, should she beat Angelique Kerber on Thursday.

&quot;To qualify for this week is just a massive bonus,&quot; Barty, the youngest player in the draw at 21, told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;And now to get a win, I can just look forward to the match tomorrow and try and go out there and play with freedom again.&quot;

Latvia`s Anastasija Sevastova cruised past reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-3 to avenge her quarter-final loss in New York.&nbsp;

Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent

Slovakia`s Magdalena Rybarikova clinched her first victory of the WTA Elite Trophy on Wednesday, beating top seed Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 1-6 7-6(5) in a thrilling encounter lasting two hours and 48 minutes. Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent. The 29-year-old ranked 22 in the world, struggled with injury during the majority of the second set, and after ceding a 4-1 lead, took a medical timeout. Mladenovic, unaffected by the break, raced to a second set win, in which she hit 13 winners and only five unforced errors. The players exchanged early breaks in the final set but Rybarikova clinched the decisive lead in the tiebreak, before sealing the victory on her seventh match point. "I am happy that I went through this match because conditions were tough and I had some problems with my leg," Rybarikova said after the match. "I was saying to myself that I had to win this match because I had so many match points and it would be really cruel to end the season like this." Rybarikova improved her record in the Azalea Group to 1-1 after dropping her first match to Julia Goerges on Tuesday. Mladenovic will now have to beat Goerges in their match later in the week to have any chances to reach the final four. Australia`s Ashleigh Barty moved to the top of the Rose Group with a convincing 6-4 6-1 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Barty broke the Russian`s serve four times and served nine aces in the victory and will qualify for the semi-finals outright, should she beat Angelique Kerber on Thursday. "To qualify for this week is just a massive bonus," Barty, the youngest player in the draw at 21, told reporters. "And now to get a win, I can just look forward to the match tomorrow and try and go out there and play with freedom again." Latvia`s Anastasija Sevastova cruised past reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-3 to avenge her quarter-final loss in New York.

Tennis: Rybarikova outlasts top seed Mladenovic at WTA Elite Trophy

Sloane Stephens was pummelled by Anastasija Sevastova at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai on Wednesday, her third successive defeat since winning the US Open.

The American seeded third in the tournament was beaten by the Latvian fifth seed in two straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre.

Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure.

&quot;I don`t think I played terribly,&quot; she said of Wednesday`s match.

&quot;I was happy to be playing better than my last matches, so that`s a good thing.&quot;

French top seed Kristina Mladenovic was also defeated Wednesday by Slovakia`s number one Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), in a tight match that saw Rybarikova squander six match points before finally sealing her victory.

Twenty-four-year-old Mladenovic, ranked at a career-high number 10, still has a chance to qualify for the semis but Rybarikova was confirmed out late Wednesday given the round robin format.

&quot;(There were) ups and downs from my side, but... there`s a lot of things to take out from this match, lots of positives,&quot; Mladenovic told journalists.

But her first-match loss in Zhuhai also follows a recent poor run, including an upset by Croatian Jana Fett at the Japan Women`s Open in September, where she was again top seed.

Earlier in the season, she reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells -- a result which saw her break into the world top 20 for the first time, temporarily overtaking Caroline Garcia as French number one.

&quot;(It was) a pretty unique season,&quot; she said.

&quot;The second part is dramatic, is terrible. The first part is also dramatic but in a positive way.&quot;

Despite &quot;the tricky journey&quot;, the French number two said she had improved a lot.

Separately, the tournament`s youngest player and ninth seed Ashleigh Barty cruised to victory over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in just one hour and 11 minutes, firing nine aces for a 6-4, 6-1 triumph.

The 21-year-old, who began the year ranked outside the top 300, made the final in Wuhan and recently became Australia`s top player.

&quot;I feel like I`m playing really well this whole year,&quot; she told media, adding that she wants to finish &quot;strong&quot;.

On Thursday she faces German Angelique Kerber who she met in Brisbane at the start of the season. Kerber, then world number one, survived a big scare from the Australian wildcard entry.

&quot;I think I`m in a bit of a different position than I was in January when we played against each other,&quot; Barty, now ranked 20 in the world, said.

&nbsp;

Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure.

Sloane Stephens was pummelled by Anastasija Sevastova at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai on Wednesday, her third successive defeat since winning the US Open. The American seeded third in the tournament was beaten by the Latvian fifth seed in two straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre. Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure. "I don`t think I played terribly," she said of Wednesday`s match. "I was happy to be playing better than my last matches, so that`s a good thing." French top seed Kristina Mladenovic was also defeated Wednesday by Slovakia`s number one Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), in a tight match that saw Rybarikova squander six match points before finally sealing her victory. Twenty-four-year-old Mladenovic, ranked at a career-high number 10, still has a chance to qualify for the semis but Rybarikova was confirmed out late Wednesday given the round robin format. "(There were) ups and downs from my side, but... there`s a lot of things to take out from this match, lots of positives," Mladenovic told journalists. But her first-match loss in Zhuhai also follows a recent poor run, including an upset by Croatian Jana Fett at the Japan Women`s Open in September, where she was again top seed. Earlier in the season, she reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells -- a result which saw her break into the world top 20 for the first time, temporarily overtaking Caroline Garcia as French number one. "(It was) a pretty unique season," she said. "The second part is dramatic, is terrible. The first part is also dramatic but in a positive way." Despite "the tricky journey", the French number two said she had improved a lot. Separately, the tournament`s youngest player and ninth seed Ashleigh Barty cruised to victory over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in just one hour and 11 minutes, firing nine aces for a 6-4, 6-1 triumph. The 21-year-old, who began the year ranked outside the top 300, made the final in Wuhan and recently became Australia`s top player. "I feel like I`m playing really well this whole year," she told media, adding that she wants to finish "strong". On Thursday she faces German Angelique Kerber who she met in Brisbane at the start of the season. Kerber, then world number one, survived a big scare from the Australian wildcard entry. "I think I`m in a bit of a different position than I was in January when we played against each other," Barty, now ranked 20 in the world, said.

Tennis: US open champ Stephens suffers fresh Asian defeat

US&nbsp;Open champion Sloane Stephens is determined to end the season on a positive note at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China after failing to win a match since her shock victory at Flushing Meadows.

The 24-year-old American stunned the sport in September when in her first grand slam final she became the lowest-ranked woman (83) to win the U.S. Open singles title.

However, despite her impressive triumph and surge up the world rankings she suffered first-round defeats at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of the Hong Kong Open earlier this month.

Stephens, who will play her first round-robin event at this week&#39;s Elite Trophy, blamed her recent defeats on a lack of preparation.

&quot;I&#39;d say winning the US&nbsp;Open isn&#39;t the best preparation to go play two tournaments right after,&quot; she told a news conference on Monday.

&quot;But I had to get out there and play because it was on my schedule. Before winning the U.S. Open, having those good results, I was basically trying to get into the Australian Open. These tournaments were really necessary for me to play.&quot;

Stephens, seeded third, is placed at the top of the Camellia Group alongside Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic.

Angelique Kerber, who clinched both Australian and US&nbsp;Open titles last year, said the Elite Trophy will allow her to lay a foundation for a fresh start in 2018.

&quot;I&#39;m trying to look ahead and trying to end the year as well as I can by putting everything on the court,&quot; said the 29-year-old German.

&quot;It&#39;s a tough tournament but it&#39;s an opportunity to get better, have good competition and maybe also going with a good feeling to next season.&quot;

Kerber was drawn in the Rose Group alongside fourth seed Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ashleigh Barty of Australia.

The Elite Trophy features the world&#39;s top 12 singles players who did not qualify for the WTA Finals last week. The round-robin format will see the winners from each of the four groups advance to the semi-finals.

Stephens, who will play her first round-robin event at this week's Elite Trophy, blamed her recent defeats on a lack of preparation

US Open champion Sloane Stephens is determined to end the season on a positive note at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China after failing to win a match since her shock victory at Flushing Meadows. The 24-year-old American stunned the sport in September when in her first grand slam final she became the lowest-ranked woman (83) to win the U.S. Open singles title. However, despite her impressive triumph and surge up the world rankings she suffered first-round defeats at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of the Hong Kong Open earlier this month. Stephens, who will play her first round-robin event at this week's Elite Trophy, blamed her recent defeats on a lack of preparation. "I'd say winning the US Open isn't the best preparation to go play two tournaments right after," she told a news conference on Monday. "But I had to get out there and play because it was on my schedule. Before winning the U.S. Open, having those good results, I was basically trying to get into the Australian Open. These tournaments were really necessary for me to play." Stephens, seeded third, is placed at the top of the Camellia Group alongside Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic. Angelique Kerber, who clinched both Australian and US Open titles last year, said the Elite Trophy will allow her to lay a foundation for a fresh start in 2018. "I'm trying to look ahead and trying to end the year as well as I can by putting everything on the court," said the 29-year-old German. "It's a tough tournament but it's an opportunity to get better, have good competition and maybe also going with a good feeling to next season." Kerber was drawn in the Rose Group alongside fourth seed Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ashleigh Barty of Australia. The Elite Trophy features the world's top 12 singles players who did not qualify for the WTA Finals last week. The round-robin format will see the winners from each of the four groups advance to the semi-finals.

Stephens eyes quick rebound at WTA Elite Trophy

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Kontaveit downs defending champion Julia Goerges in Zhuhai

Tennis: Rybarikova outlasts top seed Mladenovic at WTA Elite Trophy

Tennis: US open champ Stephens suffers fresh Asian defeat

Stephens eyes quick rebound at WTA Elite Trophy