India’s singles challenge at the US Open qualifiers came to an end as Yuki Bhambri was handed a straight-set defeat by Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the second round here.

The 30-year-old went down 3-6, 2-6 to his Belgian opponent on Thursday. It was always going to be a tricky affair for Bhambri (world No.552) against the higher-ranked Bergs (No.155), but the Indian managed to keep the scores level at 3-3 in the first set. Things, however, changed quickly in favour of the Belgian as he made it 5-3. Bergs then won his next service to clinch the first set 6-3.

In the second set too, Bergs was the better player and dominated from the word go and it did not take the former long to pocket the second and final set 6-2. Yuki, who spent the most of last three years nursing knee injuries and recovering from multiple operations, played his first grand slam qualifier earlier this year at the Australian Open, where too he failed to make it to the main round.

On Wednesday, India’s highest-ranked men’s singles player, Ramkumar Ramanathan, and Sumit Nagal made early exits after losing their respective qualifying matches in straight sets. Ramanathan lost to American teen Bruno Kuzuhara 3-6, 5-7, while Nagal lost to Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-7, 4-6.