The newest pairing of Alex Eala and Venus Williams looked impressive in their first match together as they dispatched Alexandra Osborne of Australia and Catherine Harrison of the United States, 6-3, 6-4, in the Round of 16 of the Bad Homburg Open.
But in the quarterfinals, Eala and Williams will face a much tougher challenge as they are set to take on the second-seeded duo of Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.
Mihalikova-Nicholls: Recently Crowned Champions
If the phrase “peaking at the right time” were a person, it would be this duo.
The Slovak-British tandem has been playing doubles together for the last two years, winning their first title at the Berlin Tennis Open last year. More recently, they were crowned doubles champions at the HSBC Championships after defeating Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund.
Despite reaching such heights, they suffered an early exit while attempting to defend their doubles title at this year’s Berlin Tennis Open.
However, after that disappointing Round of 16 loss, the World No. 29 doubles pair bounced back by defeating the Chinese tandem of Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan at the Bad Homburg Open.
With a 5-1 record on grass courts this season, they will now face the American-Filipina tandem of Eala and Williams.
Both Eala and Williams have not played much doubles on grass this season, with the 21-year-old Eala holding a 1-1 record and the 46-year-old Williams sitting at 1-0.
Needless to say, Mihalikova and Nicholls have the advantage heading into the upcoming quarterfinal match. But over the years, fans have seen both Eala and Williams pull off surprising victories against superior opponents.
Alex Eala Next Match
Alex Eala/Venus Williams vs. Tereza Mihalikova/Olivia Nicholls
Tournament: WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open
Date: Thursday, 25 June, 5:00 p.m. (Time subject to change.)
Category: Doubles (Quarterfinals)
