Alex Eala set for rematch vs. Elise Mertens in Bad Homburg Open

Alex Eala will look to avenge her previous loss to Elise Mertens of Belgium as they clash again in the Bad Homburg Open Round of 32 scheduled on Monday night in Germany.

Eala and Mertens recently met on clay when the Belgian ace defeated the Filipina star 6-2, 6-2 in the Round of 64 of the Madrid Open last April.

The 21-year-old Eala is seeking her first win over Mertens, who defeated her in their first two WTA tour meetings.

To do so, Eala will bank on the momentum she gained from her recent grass tournaments.

The Philippine ace started her grass-court swing with a historic title run at the Birmingham Open before reaching the Round of 16 of the HSBC Championships.

She then made massive noise in the Berlin Open, beating players like Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina to reach the semifinals.

She faltered against eventual champion Linda Noskova, but that loss gave Eala a return trip to the WTA Top 30, which allowed her to receive a career-first seed in the Wimbledon.

Eala has not competed in the Bad Homburg Open before, but Mertens, currently the world No. 26, played in the 2025 edition, where she lost to the then seventh-seeded Svitolina in the Round of 32.

—JMB, GMA News