Johanna Konta's top-10 ambitions on hold after Wuhan defeat by Petra Kvitova

Victory for Konta would have seen her narrow the gap to just 81 points on eighth-placed Carla Suarez Navarro in the Road to Singapore, where the top eight players for the year all compete next month, but she succumbed to the immense hitting of the Czech in a 6-3 6-4 defeat after failing to take any of her four break points.

She was hurt further by Svetlana Kuznetsova's three-set win over Agnieszka Radwanska, with the Russian now ahead of Konta in the race.

Furthermore a run to the final in China and results going her way elsewhere would have seen her break into the top 10 of the overall rankings for the first time in her career and become the first Briton to do so since Jo Durie in 1984 and just the fourth ever after Virginia Wade and Sue Barker also made it.

However, with three tournaments left before Singapore, the 25-year-old, who has had a stellar year, still has the opportunity to achieve both feats.

It was not to be for her against Kvitova, who came into the clash on the back of a three-hour-20-minute marathon with world number one Angelique Kerber on Wednesday night.

The 2014 champion in Wuhan finished that match on one leg after a severe bout of cramp, but she was up for this one and was the beneficiary of a Konta error in the eighth game that allowed her a crucial break in the first set.

Konta would love another chance to put a short ball away into an open court at deuce because she inexplicably sent it wide and then the Czech held off two break-back points to serve out for the set.

Kvitova saved two more break points early in the third and ground Konta down to take her serve again at 3-2.

The Brit would have fancied her chances if she could have found a way back in, with Kvitova visibly struggling with tiredness, but her power hitting got her through and she served out for the win.

Elsewhere, fourth seed Smiona Halep beat America's Madison Keys 6-2 6-2 to ensure her appearance at the WTA final in Singapore later this month alongside Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams.

Svetlana Kutnetsova came from behind after saving a match point to win against Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6 7-6 (11/9) 6-4 in just under three hours.

Dominka Cibulkova beat Karolina Pliskova 6-2 6-2 in her rain delayed third round, to play again the same day and get the better of Barbora Strycova, who had earlier beaten Jelena Jankovic, 3-6 6-3 6-4 in a match that finished just before 1am local time.