Heather Watson’s Australian Open campaign ended with a first-round defeat by world number 54 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

The Briton, 25, had a set point to level the match in a tie-break but went down 7-5 7-6 (8-6).

Watson, ranked 68th, has now lost her opening match on five of her seven appearances in Melbourne.

It means Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund are the only British players left in the singles draws after round one.

Earlier on Tuesday, ninth seed Konta beat American Madison Brengle 6-3 6-1 to progress.

• British number one Konta progresses to second round
• Defending champion Federer beats Bedene
• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

‘I left it all out there’ – Watson

Watson said before the match that she expected a tough battle against a “fiery” opponent, and so it proved.

She had her chances over the course of a gruelling two hours 16 minutes, and was urged on by a large British contingent on court 13.

However, she would end the match with roughly double the amount of errors (51) and winners (35) than her opponent, and loose shots at the wrong time cost her.

Watson told BBC Radio 5 live she was “extremely disappointed”, adding: “I left it all out there.

“I didn’t play my best but I said from start to finish, even if I don’t win a game from here, I’m going to play the way I want to play. The right way.

“Then, in my mind, that’s the best I could have done.

“It’s not always going to go your way, and you’re not always going to play well, but at least I did everything in my power that I was supposed to do and prepared right.”

After recovering an early break to lead 5-4 in the first set, a poor service game at 5-5 ultimately lost her the set.

With tensions rising and both players taking out their frustrations on their racquets, Watson found her best form of the match as she powered 4-1 clear in the second.

However, the steadier Putintseva clawed back the deficit and, after Watson swung a backhand wide on set point in the tie-break, her opponent capitalised to seal the win.

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Novak Djokovic rejected claims he was “greedy” and denied he had called for a boycott of next year’s Australian Open in pursuit of greater prize money.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion termed reports that he had suggested drastic measures to increase the players’ share of tournament revenue as “exaggerated”.

The Serb, 30, also denied reports he had taken a lawyer to the compulsory annual players’ meeting in Melbourne.

“We, players, wanted to have us players talk about certain topics,” he said.

“I don’t think there is anything unhealthy about that.”

• Live scores, schedule and results
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The former world number one told a news conference: “I saw that you’ve portrayed me as someone who is very greedy, asks for more money and wants to boycott.

“I respect your freedom and decisions to do that, but not much of what you have written is true.”

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was formed to represent players in 1972, and since 1990 has organised the men’s world tour.

The four Grand Slam tournaments are independent of the ATP and have made substantial increases in prize money in recent years.

“ATP is an association of players and tournaments,” said Djokovic, who returned to competitive action after a six-month injury lay-off with victory over Donald Young at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

“It has worked like that for the last 40-plus years in this kind of harmony, so to say.

“It’s not easy because a lot of times there’s a conflict of interest. But everybody is trying to do their best.”

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World number one Simona Halep fended off teenage wildcard Destanee Aiava to reach the Australian Open second round.

Halep saved two set points before beating the 17-year-old Australian 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 after medical timeouts for both players.

The Romanian, who plays Eugenie Bouchard next, had her ankle strapped in the second set, while Aiava left the court when leading 5-2 in the first.

Petra Kvitova was knocked out by Andrea Petkovic after an 88-minute final set.

The Czech 27th seed twice served for the match, at 6-5 and 8-7, while Petkovic could not convert three match points when serving for the match herself at 5-4.

However, a Kvitova double fault eventually handed victory to the 30-year-old German, 6-3 4-6 10-8.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, seeded third, brushed aside her recent injury problems as she beat Jessika Ponchet 6-4 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan.

Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova progressed with a 6-3 6-4 win over Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg on Rod Laver Arena.

Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion, made it 10 singles wins in a row this year by seeing off fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-0 6-4. She will face Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the next round.

French eighth seed Carolina Garcia beat Germany’s Carina Witthoeft 7-5 6-3 and will face Czech Marketa Vondrousova next.

• Konta beats Brengle to reach second round
• Sharapova through on Melbourne return
• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

Stan Wawrinka survived a fightback from Ricardas Berankis to win in four sets and reach the Australian Open second round on his return from injury.

The ninth seed was playing his first match since having knee surgery after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July.

The Swiss won the opening two sets, before losing seven successive games as Berankis took the third set and moved 3-0 up in the fourth on Hisense Arena.

But Wawrinka recovered to take the tie-break and win 6-3 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-2).

The 2014 champion will play American Tennys Sandgren next.

Wawrinka reached the semi-finals last year and looked to be sailing through against the Lithuanian world number 141.

However, it took the 32-year-old two hours and 47 minutes to finally seal his place in round two.

“It was a tough battle and I’m really happy to win my first match here after six months out,” Wawrinka said.

• Djokovic returns with win over Young
• Live scores, schedule and results
• Konta beats Brengle to reach second round
• Sharapova through on Melbourne return

Milos Raonic, the 22nd seed, suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in seven years after he was knocked out in the first round by Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko.

The Canadian, who tore his right calf muscle in October not long after returning from wrist surgery, lost 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to the world number 86.

“I wasn’t sharp and I struggled physically, thankfully not from injury, but from fitness and preparedness and that caught up with me a lot,” said Raonic.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev progressed with a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 victory over Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano on Rod Laver Arena – the 20-year-old will face fellow German Peter Gojowczyk in the next round.

Meanwhile, the dangerous Fernando Verdasco, ranked 40th, knocked out fellow Spaniard and 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1 7-5 7-5.

American 13th seed Sam Querrey is also safely through to the next round after beating Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-4 6-2.