VALIDATION or redemption?

This will be answered when Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala clashes with Latvian champion Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16 of the WTA 250 Lexus Eastbourne Open in Great Britain on Wednesday night, June 25 (Philippine time).

The much-anticipated duel is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m.

It will be a battle between world No. 74 and world No. 20, and Eala may be the lower seed, she is certainly not a pushover.

The 20-year-old Eala is looking to duplicate her gigantic win against Ostapenko in the Miami Open last March.

Eala defeated Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, 7-6 (2), 7-5, to reach the semifinal round in what was a magical run in the Miami Open.

Eala’s stellar Miami Open run ended when she lost to American Jessica Pegula in the semis, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 3-6.

Eala and Ostapenko sealed the rematch after scoring separate wins in the Round of 32. Ostapenko nipped British Sonay Kartal, 6-3, 7-6(7), while Eala handily defeated Italian Lucia Bronzetti, 6-0, 6-1.

Eala, an Asian Games double-bronze medalist, reached the Round of 16 by scoring three straight wins. She first defeated Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the qualifying round and followed up that win with a tight 6-7 (7), 7-6 (7), 6-1 win over American Hailey Baptiste.

Eala sustained her hot run by beating Bronzetti in the Round of 32.(CCM)

• Tags
• #Alex Eala
• #Jelena Ostapenko
• #WTA 250 Lexus Eastbourne Open
• #Great Britain