Top seed Elina Svitolina’s Brisbane International title defence is over after she crashed out in a three-set loss to Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

In a re-match of last year’s final, world No.30 Sasnovich took out the second-round match 6-4 0-6 6-3 after ambushing the Ukranian’s serve at Pat Rafter Arena on Wednesday.

World No.4 Svitolina was afforded a first-round bye and she came out rusty, winning just 35 per cent of points on her second serve in the first set.

The Ukrainian looked like restoring order when she dominated the second by breathing life into her service game.

But the revival was short-lived as her Belarusian opponent broke in the third game of the decider and again for match point to exact revenge for being convincingly beaten in the final last year.

Sasnovich will face Croatian Donna Vekic in the quarter-finals.