Johanna Konta is the latest heavyweight to crash out of the Australian Open women’s draw, with Britain’s big hope falling in the second round to American “lucky loser” Bernarda Pera.

A quarter-finalist at the 2017 Open before reaching the last four at Wimbledon, Konta joined a raft of seeds to make an early Melbourne Park exit this week when she lost 6-4 7-5 on Thursday.

Pera lost her final-round qualifying match and only gained a late entry to the main draw for the first time in Melbourne following the withdrawal of Russian Margarita Gasparyan.

But the world No.123 looked anything but of out place as she struck 26 winners, seven aces and converted four of 17 break-point chances to take the ninth-seeded Konta out in one hour and 40 minutes.

Pera joins Thai surprise packet Luksika Kumkhum, 15-year-old Ukrainian sensation Marta Kostyuk and Czech Denisa Allertova to advance to the last 32 out of qualifying.

The Croatian-born 23-year-old left-hander will play either Czech 20th seed Barbora Strycova or Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena on Saturday for a place in the fourth round.