Top seed Jasmine Paolini dumped out of Eastbourne by Tatjana Maria

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Paolini[/a] is 98 places ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maria-tatjana/OGYNaUZG/"]Maria[/a] in the rankings, but the world number 112's experience on grass was decisive in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/maria-t-OGYNaUZG/paolini-j-noaX0EJn/?mid=dzsGNEu0"]the first round clash[/a].[/p][p]Paolini reached the Wimbledon and French Open finals in 2024.[/p][p]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][p]"[b]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[/b]," Maria said.[/p][p]"[b]I didn't start very well but I found myself back in the match and I'm really happy about this[/b]."[/p][embed guid="dc072c80-4119-4496-a7e9-845ffeb85c98" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQTTTdYS3oo" social-type="youtube" /][p]Former Eastbourne champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] started her bid for a third title on the south coast with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gibson-t-8GwNXON6/keys-m-QwU996PK/?mid=vH1r9FQ6"]6-4, 6-4[/a] first-round win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gibson-talia/8GwNXON6/"]Talia Gibson[/a].[/p][p]The American world number 28, who won her first ever WTA title at Eastbourne 12 years ago, said: "[b]This was the first title I ever won so it's always been a really special place for me[/b].[/p][p]"[b]To be able to come back after all these years and continue playing a really high level still is incredible[/b]."[/p][p]In the men's event, Britain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hussey-giles/8AO4DtCh/"]Giles Hussey[/a] shocked French Open semi-finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arnaldi-matteo/hlVLAfZK/"]Matteo Arnaldi[/a] with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/arnaldi-m-hlVLAfZK/hussey-g-8AO4DtCh/?mid=Uc0Zt3oL"]6-4, 6-2[/a] win.[/p][p]Italy's Arnaldi suffered heartbreak in Paris recently when he was forced to pull out shortly before his clash with compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a] because of sickness.[/p][p]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][embed guid="ed4f23c7-74ba-45e5-924f-121fc6c08ec5" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oaTAzF8xtY" social-type="youtube" /][p]All five of Hussey's victories over top-100 players have come at Devonshire Park and he will next take on lucky loser [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/halys-quentin/EDve8Ljh/"]Quentin Halys[/a].[/p][p]The Frenchman has taken the place of teenage Brazilian star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a], who announced his withdrawal earlier on Tuesday because of a shoulder problem.[/p]