Garbine Muguruza insisted her Wimbledon preparations remain on track despite a second-round loss to Barbora Strycova at the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham.
The Wimbledon champion won only one game against Strycova at Eastbourne last summer in her final match before the championships but scythed through the field at the All England Club, losing just a single set on her way to a second grand slam title.
She fared slightly better here and looked to have turned things around when she broke for 4-2 in the second set only to lose four games in a row and the match, 6-2 6-4.
Muguruza said: "I just think it's a difficult match. Barbora plays very good on grass. I think her style of game suits the surface very well. I wish I would play more matches, but nothing really worries me. I just want to learn and next time I face her, I want to win. We have a lot of time now to prepare (for Wimbledon). In a way it's good."
There were no problems for defending champion Petra Kvitova, who made it seven straight wins in Birmingham with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Australia's Daria Gavrilova.
Kvitova won an emotional title last summer in only her second tournament since returning from career-threatening injuries suffered in a knife attack at her home.
The two-time former Wimbledon champion said: "I always feel happiness when I'm playing on the grass. Probably I thought I'm going to feel some pressure to defend the title, but I don't. It's kind of nice to have those feelings and be more relaxed."
In the last eight, Kvitova will face fifth seed Julia Goerges, who ended the winning run of Ashleigh Barty with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 victory to reach her first WTA Tour quarter-final in England.
Barty lifted the title in Nottingham last week and had seven set points in the opener here but could not convert any and German Goerges took full advantage.
We have tennis coverage from the ATP Tour as Roger Federer bids for another title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena all this week.
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