British number one Johanna Konta's season ended when she lost in the Kremlin Cup semi-finals to Russian sixth seed Daria Kasatkina in Moscow.
Konta was aiming to make her second WTA final of a difficult season but lost 6-4 6-3 in Friday's semi-final.
After struggling for form and dropping out of the world's top 40, the 27-year-old has been working with prospective new coach Dimitri Zavialoff in Russia.
She responded by reaching the last four and tested Kasatkina before fading.
Victories against Elise Mertens, Daria Gavrilova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich - all above 44th-ranked Konta in the world - look to have boosted the Briton's confidence after a disappointing season which led to her splitting with coach Michael Joyce last week.