Australian Open teenage wildcard Luke Saville’s tournament has ended in disappointment with a first round loss to Japan’s Go Soeda.
Saville joined the growing list of local losers with a 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2 6-3 loss to world No.73 Soeda.
Earlier on day two fellow Queenslander John-Patrick Smith succumbed to Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-4 6-1 6-4.
Saville, who last year won the Australian Open junior boys tournament, is ranked 349 in the world with this tournament marking his grand slam singles debut.
In contrast Soeda, 28, has been on the tour for 10 years and was ranked as high as 43 in the world last year.
The 18-year-old former junior world No.1 Saville started strongly and was up 5-2 in the first set before being forced into a tie-break which he took 7-4.
Soeda started to dominate in the second and third sets, when Saville was forced to call for the trainer, appearing to suffer cramps in his thighs.
He got an early break in the fourth set and led 2-0 before the Japanese journeyman lifted to over-run him 6-4 to take the match.