Britain's Jo Konta suffered a health scare as she crashed out of the opening round of the WTA Top Seed Open in Lexington on Monday with a straight-sets defeat to the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova. Third seed Konta requested medical attention just a few minutes into her 6-4, 6-4 first round loss to the unseeded Bouzkova. The 29-year-old Briton looked uncomfortable and kept holding two fingers to her neck to check her pulse before eventually resuming play. Konta later explained that she is prone to sudden palpitations that can send her heart rate soaring.

"My heart rate shoots up for no reason, we didn't have a long point, I wasn't gassing in any way in my lungs," Konta said. "It makes me a bit lightheaded, I just had to see the doctor and the physio. "I was having all the checks. I am as fit as a fiddle but it can happen. It took a while to settle down until about 4-3 in the first set, but then it did settle down and I was able to concentrate on the tennis." Konta said it was the fourth time she had been affected by the problem during tournament play or practice. "We don't know why it happens, it's in stressful situations, in non-stressful situations.