USA's Coco Gauff returns the ball to Spain's Paula Badosa during the women's singles round of 16 tennis match at the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open tournament in Berlin. AFP
It was the fifth-seeded American's first match on grass this season, less than two weeks before the start of Wimbledon.
After comfortably winning the first set, world number seven Gauff fell apart against Badosa. The American's first-serve percentage dropped in each set and the Spaniard broke twice each in the second and third sets as she won in one hour, 36 minutes.
Badosa, who is ranked 142nd in the world, is playing on a wildcard in Berlin.
She had suffered five consecutive defeats since her last victory in early April in Charleston.
After winning Roland Garros in 2025, Gauff failed to win a single match on grass suffering first-round exits in Berlin and at Wimbledon.
Badosa will next face her doubles partner Jessica Pegula.
The third-seeded American despatched Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour. It was Pegula's fifth straight victory over the Czech.
Young Filipina Alexandra Eala battled past Croatian veteran Donna Vekic, who on Sunday won the Queen's tournament, 7-5, 6-4 in a shade under two hours.
Vekic broke in the second game of the match but thereafter, she failed to take numerous opportunities.
In all, Vekic had 14 break points during the match, but Eala saved 12 of them.
By contrast, the Filipina took four of her nine break opportunities.
"I told myself that she's fighting back, but I'm also a fighter," Eala said on court. "So I have to try -- I have to try and give her a hard time."
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