Jo Konta out of Cincinnati Masters after quarter-final defeat to Simona Halep

Johanna Konta is out of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati after losing her quarter-final against second seed Simona Halep 6-4 7-6 (7/1) on Friday night.

Seventh seed Konta, who beat Halep in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in July, did not go quietly, saving a series of match points and keeping Halep on court for almost two hours.

Konta, who had not lost to the Romanian in three previous meetings, saved two match points when trailing 5-3, and was down 40-0 down at 6-5 before battling back to win the game.

But Halep regrouped and romped through the tiebreaker to set up a semi-final against Sloane Stephens.