JORDANNE Whiley said hand blisters hindered her title bid as she was made to settle for the runners-up prize at the Israel Open.

The 26-year-old, from Steventon, was beaten 6-0, 6-7, 6-2 by China’s Zhenzhen Zhu earlier today.

Whiley, ranked 16th in the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tour standings, was delighted to continue her impressive return to the sport after pregnancy by reaching her sixth final of the year.

But revealed on Twitter that she was unable to perform to her full potential as she suffered only her second singles defeat in 2019.

Whiley posted: “I’m gutted that I couldn’t compete to my full capacity due to blisters being ripped open in the third set but I’m happy that I stuck in there and fought until the end.

“That’s all I can do.”

Whiley, who has won 24 of her 26 singles matches this year, now turns her attention to competing for Great Britain at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, which starts on Monday.

The wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup takes place in Ramat Hasharon from May 13-18.