Kurumi Nara exited the Pan Pacific Open in a straight-sets second-round defeat to fourth seed Karolina Pliskova on Thursday.
Nara, ranked 80th in the world, lost 6-2, 6-4 to the 11th-ranked Czech in 1 hour, 21 minutes at Tokyo's Ariake Tennis Forest Park. Nara was the last remaining Japanese woman in the singles draw. Pliskova will play Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.
Pliskova, who stands at 186 cm, overpowered Nara, serving up 10 aces and winning 73 percent of her first serves, while returning against Japan's top-ranked player with ease and breaking her four times.
"I was able to play well, the way I can, but my opponent was just too good," said the 155-cm Nara, who was satisfied with her effort in the second set.
"I reacted well, moved my feet well and was able to keep up.
"I didn't get the sense my tennis was that bad. If I'm going to improve my shots and serve, I have to keep doing things the way I have been."
Radwanska defeated Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-1.
In another match, sixth seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain fell 6-4, 6-4 to Slovakia's Comika Cibulkova.
