Who is Alina Charaeva? Alex Eala's opponent in the WTA 125 Birmingham Open Round of 16

Alexandra “Alex” Eala will face a familiar foe in Alina Charaeva when they square off in the Round of 16 of the WTA 125 Birmingham Open on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old Russian is currently ranked No. 130 in the world and is coming off a semifinal appearance at the Trophée Clarins in Paris last May. There, she fell to French player Diane Parry in a tightly contested match, 7-6(6), 7-6(6).

This will not be the first meeting between Eala and Charaeva.

The two previously faced each other at the Philippine Women’s Open, where the Filipina star cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

However, in an ITF tournament in Spain in 2020, Charaeva got the better of Eala, winning 6-3, 6-3.

Eala heads into the match with momentum after a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Priscilla Hon in the opening round of the WTA 125 Birmingham Open.

—JKC, GMA News