The signs weren’t encouraging for Australian tennis players ahead of Wimbledon, with four eliminated from lead-up events on Tuesday.

Big-serving Sam Groth, who has enjoyed an excellent run of recent form that has seen him rise to 66th in the world rankings, lost in the second round at the ATP Nottingham Open.

And Samantha Stosur’s battles on grass continued as she – along with Casey Dellacqua and Jarmila Gajdosova – was eliminated from the WTA Eastbourne International on Tuesday.

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Russia-born Daria Gabrilova at least ensured there was one Australian win on Tuesday, also at Eastbourne.

In Nottingham, Groth’s 24 aces weren’t enough as Portugal’s Joao Souza eked out a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-6) win in a two-and-a-quarter-hour affair featuring just one service break.

Stosur’s struggles on grass continued. Photo: Getty

Groth had to work overtime just to reach the second round of the Wimbledon lead-up tournament after rain left the Australian hanging while on the brink of victory against Mischa Zverev on Monday.

He returned on Tuesday to complete a 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-3) win over the German qualifier before falling just short against Sousa.

Groth will feel confident heading to the All England Club, though, earning direct entry to Wimbledon after winning nine matches on English grass this month.

At Eastbourne, Stosur was ousted in straight sets by Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.

The Australian No.1 will head to Wimbledon – where she has a dire record in a dozen visits – without a win on grass in more than a year after dropping serve six times in a 7-5 7-6 (7-0) loss to Pironkova.

Gavrilova spared Australia’s blushes, despite only gaining entry into the main draw as a ‘lucky loser’ from qualifying when top seed Petra Kvitova withdrew with illness.

And she made the most of her good fortune, saving a match point in a thrilling 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over Italian Camila Giorgi.

A finalist last week in the women’s event at Nottingham, eighth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova eliminated Dellacqua 6-4 7-5 before second seed Caroline Wozniacki survived a day of carnage for the big guns to oust Gajdosova 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.