Misaki Doi fell to Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea of Romania 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in the Madrid Open women's singles on Wednesday, a disappointing third-round loss to a lower-ranked player.
The unseeded Doi, who is currently ranked 53rd in the world, was handed her third defeat in as many meetings against her 83rd-ranked opponent but felt like she did well enough at Caja Magica to break out of a slump.
"She picked up all my weak shots and returned them well," said Doi.
"This will serve as a trigger (to better things)," the 26-year-old added of her performance this week on clay after being eliminated in the first round in recent tournaments.
After taking part in outdoor tournaments in Italy and Germany, Doi is scheduled to compete in the French Open, which begins May 28 in Paris.