Monday 27 July 2015 08:48, UK
James Ward suffered an agonising loss in the first round of the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia.
The British No 3 was beaten 6-4 6-7 (9-7) 7-5 by 35-year-old German Michael Berrer in a hard-court contest that lasted exactly two hours.
Ward, seeded No 8, was broken in the opening game of the match which turned out to be the only break of the first set.
The 28-year-old from Surrey, who was part of the Great Britain squad that reached the Davis Cup semi-finals on Sunday, was broken again at the start of the second set.
However, with Berrer serving for the match at 5-3, the world No 129 failed to convert back-to-back match points at 40-15 allowing Ward to break his opponent for the first time.
Berrer then squandered two more match points in the tie-break at 6-4, before Ward levelled the match on his second set point.
The deciding set was also closely fought with Ward failing to convert two break points in the 11th game at 15-40 and he was made to pay in the very next game as Berrer secured the only service break to clinch victory.
In a game dominated by serve, Berrer fired down 23 aces to 17 from world No 93 Ward.
Berrer now faces Brazilian qualifier Marcelo Demoliner in round two.
