Alex Eala's DC Open run faces major hurdle against defending champion Leylah Fernandez

Alexandra "Alex" Eala's bid for a deep run at the Mubadala DC Open gets tougher as the Filipina tennis star takes on defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the Round of 16 on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

The Filipina pride will face world No. 34 Fernandez at 11 p.m., with the Canadian looking to keep her title defense alive while Eala hopes to pull off the upset and reach the quarterfinals.

Regardless, the encounter promises to be a thrilling battle between two tennis stars with Filipino roots.

Fernandez, who traces her Filipino heritage to her mother, had a stellar run in the same tournament last year after sweeping Maya Joint in the opening round, 6-3, 6-3. She then stunned top seed Jessica Pegula with a hard-fought 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 victory.

In the quarterfinals, Fernandez swept Taylor Townsend before upsetting Elena Rybakina in a grueling semifinal match en route to a 6(2)-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(3) win. In the championship match, Fernandez left no stone unturned, pulling off a one-sided 6-1, 6-2 victory over Anna Kalinskaya.

The victory earned Fernandez her fifth career singles title and the biggest championship of her career to date.

Eala, meanwhile, is equally motivated to deny Fernandez another title while chasing her first WTA tour crown.

The 21-year-old Eala opened her campaign with a comeback victory, eking out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over reigning Olympic and Asian Games gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China.

The win marked Eala's return to action since her unprecedented run at Wimbledon, where she became the first Filipino to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles event.

—JKC, GMA News