A despondent Daria Gavrilova has revealed she's still struggling with a lack of confidence that plagued her 2018 season.
The feisty Gavrilova made her earliest Australian Open exit in four years on Tuesday, bowing out to Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek 7-5 6-3 in the first round.
The world No.41, who reached the last 16 at Melbourne Park in 2016 and 2017, was out of sorts and made 38 unforced errors - including 23 on the forehand wing - in the one hour and 44 minute match.
"I probably started just overplaying and made a lot of errors. There was a lot happening in my head," Gavrilova said.
"I was just probably over-thinking things and just not being confident at all."
Gavrilova recently admitted she was her own worst enemy in an inconsistent 2018 where she beat three former grand slam winners but failed to back up a career-high No.20 the year prior.
Her home summer has now ended with three first-round exits, after losing in the opening rounds of Brisbane and Sydney in the lead up to Melbourne Park.
Gavrilova said she was battling a number of niggles but wouldn't say what they were.
"I had to have a couple days off," she said.
"It's all new for me, so I just have to learn to play with pain. I mean, there's a lot of players that go through this.
"I think for me, getting my body right ... that would help for sure."
Zidansek meets either reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka or Poland's Magda Linette in the second round.
Australian Associated Press
