Alex Eala set for rematch vs. SEA Games finals foe in Birmingham Open quarterfinals

A familiar face stands in the way of Alex Eala in the 2026 Birmingham Open quarterfinals set on Friday at the Edgbaston Priory Club, United Kingdom.

The 21-year-old Filipina tennis star will lock horns with Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, whom she defeated in dominant straight sets to capture her first-ever Southeast Asian Games gold medal last December on Sawangkaew's home soil.

Eala carries huge momentum from her back-to-back sweep victories in the first two rounds. She pulled off a 6-0, 6-2 win over Australia's Priscilla Hon in the Round of 32 before eking out a 6-2, 7-5 victory against Alina Charaeva in the Round of 16.

Eala, the top-seeded player in the tournament, will look to continue her winning ways against Sawangkaew, who has yet to drop a single set in four games, including two matches in the qualifying round.

Sawangkaew defeated Yuriko Miyazaki and Aoi Ito in the qualifier before flexing her might against Linda Klimovicova in the Round of 32 and Kayla Day in the Round of 16, setting up an all-Southeast Asian duel with Eala.

The winner of this match will advance to the semifinals against either Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova or USA's Mary Stoiana.

—JMB, GMA News