Maia Lumsden is the last British player standing in the Budgen Motors GB Pro-Series women’s tournament - with second seed Gabriella Taylor among those to make first round exits.

Having come through two qualifying matches, Lumsden, the British No. 9, got the better of Spanish player Eva Guerrero Alvarez 6-4, 7-5 to set up a second round clash against German Caroline Werner, conqueror of No. 6 seed Amandine Hesse, today.

But it was otherwise a tough day for the Brits in the $25,000 International Tennis Federation event at The Shrewsbury Club as they all tasted defeat.

Taylor, currently 164 in the world rankings, was knocked out by Ana Vrljic, with the experienced Croatian securing a 7-6, 6-1 victory.

Vrljic, currently ranked 596 having been as high as 180, said: “I’ve been playing well lately. I like indoor conditions, so I feel good and that’s the outcome of winning this match. 

“It’s always tough to play those kind of opponents, but I played good and I believe in my game - I think I showed it today.”  

Vrljic, who has represented Croatia in the Fed Cup, always enjoys her trips to play in Shrewsbury.   

“I love tournaments in Great Britain,” she stressed. "They’re always very well organised. Shrewsbury really try to improve everything.”

She added with a smile: "They resurface the courts, which is really good for us players because it was too fast last year! I’m happy that they did it and the club is really nice.”

Of the other Brits in first round action, seventh seed Katy Dunne bowed out in straight sets, losing 6-2, 6-3 to Russian Valeria Savinykh, beaten 2015 finalist Freya Christie went down 6-4, 6-4 to Bulgarian Isabella Shinikova, while Sarah Beth Grey lost 6-2, 6-4 to Romanian Laura-Ioana Andrei.

Eden Silva was swept aside 6-0, 6-0 by Turkish eighth seed Pemra Ozgen, Holly Staff lost 6-2, 6-2 to Eleni Kordolaimi from Greece and 18-year-old Ali Collins was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by top seed Arantxa Rus, the Dutch star with a current world ranking of 108.

Rus will now meet in-form Latvian Diana Marcinkevica in an intriguing second round tie today, a quick rematch after Marcinkevica beat Rus in a third set tiebreak to win the final of the $25,000 Wirral tournament just last weekend.

The longest match of round one was the all-Belgian clash between Greet Minnen and Marie Benoit, with Minnen progressing 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours 21 minutes.

Third seed Barbara Haas, from Austria, recovered from losing the opening set to overcome her French opponent Harmony Tan.

Today’s second round matches will start at 10.30am, with admission free for spectators to enjoy the action at The Shrewsbury Club’s indoor courts.