Alex Eala to face Jelena Ostapenko anew in Linz Open Round of 16

Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to face former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko once again, this time in the Round of 16 of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open.

Ostapenko received a first-round bye, while Eala advanced after defeating Julia Grabher, 6-4, 6-3, in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.

Eala had the upper hand in their previous two meetings. The Filipina ace scored a 7-6, 7-5 win over Ostapenko in their Miami Open clash last year, and also advanced via walkover in the Eastbourne Open after the Latvian star retired due to injury.

However, both matches were played on non-clay surfaces.

The 28-year-old Ostapenko, currently ranked world No. 23, won her first and only Grand Slam title at the 2017 French Open which is a clay-court tournament.

According to the WTA, Ostapenko has won 62.5% of her matches on clay, while Eala holds a 39.5% win rate on the said surface in her young career.

The two are expected to face off on Wednesday at around 7 p.m. (Philippine time), following the match between Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Dayana Yastremska.

—JKC, GMA News