Zhang Zhizhen suffered a heartbreaking first-round exit at the Italian Open after missing two match points in a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 defeat to Daniel Altmaier on Wednesday.
Zhang looked in control after taking the opening set and moving close to victory in the second, but Altmaier fought back strongly in the tiebreak before completing the comeback in the decider.
The Chinese player later admitted that a lack of confidence due to recent poor results affected his game in crucial moments. Altmaier will now face second seed Alexander Zverev in the second round of the tournament in Rome.