Italian top seed Jasmine Paolini suffered a shock 6-4, 6-3 defeat against Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the WTA event at Eastbourne on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Paolini<\/a> is 98 places ahead of Maria<\/a> in the rankings, but the world number 112’s experience on grass was decisive in the first round clash<\/a>.<\/p>\n Paolini reached the Wimbledon and French Open finals in 2024.<\/p>\n But Maria, 37, claimed her latest victory over a top-20 player, ruining the world number 14’s hopes of a morale-boosting run at the Wimbledon warm-up event.<\/p>\n “I was happy that we played on grass. She’s such a tough opponent, such a nice girl outside of the court. I see her every day and my kids love her so it was really a tough one playing a first round against each other,” Maria said.<\/p>\n “I didn’t start very well but I found myself back in the match and I’m really happy about this.”<\/p>\n Former Eastbourne champion Madison Keys<\/a> started her bid for a third title on the south coast with a 6-4, 6-4<\/a> first-round win over Talia Gibson<\/a>.<\/p>\n The American world number 28, who won her first ever WTA title at Eastbourne 12 years ago, said: “This was the first title I ever won so it’s always been a really special place for me.<\/p>\n “To be able to come back after all these years and continue playing a really high level still is incredible.”<\/p>\n In the men’s event, Britain’s Giles Hussey<\/a> shocked French Open semi-finalist Matteo Arnaldi<\/a> with a 6-4, 6-2<\/a> win.<\/p>\n Italy’s Arnaldi suffered heartbreak in Paris recently when he was forced to pull out shortly before his clash with compatriot Flavio Cobolli<\/a> because of sickness.<\/p>\n His return came on the rather less prestigious stage of Eastbourne, where 29-year-old Hussey also had to come through qualifying to earn his spot in the main draw.<\/p>\n All five of Hussey’s victories over top-100 players have come at Devonshire Park and he will next take on lucky loser Quentin Halys<\/a>.<\/p>\n