Alex Eala is set to face another familiar foe in the quarterfinals of the Lexus Birmingham Open as she takes on Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand. This battle is a rematch of the Southeast Asian Games gold-medal match that the Filipina won.
Alex Eala vs. Mananchaya Sawangkaew: Head-to-Head Clash
Similar to her previous two matches against Priscilla Hon and Alina Charaeva, this will be the third career meeting between Alex Eala and Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
The first time these Southeast Asian standouts faced each other was in the quarterfinals of the ITF W100 Takasaki International Open. There, the Thai ace eliminated the Filipina in a grueling three-set battle.
Their rematch came a year later in the gold-medal match of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games. Despite having a home-court advantage, Sawangkaew had no answer for the Rafa Nadal Academy alumna, as Eala cruised to a straight-sets victory, 6-1, 6-2, to capture the gold medal for the Philippines.
With an even record in their head-to-head clash, these two tennis hotshots are eager to secure the tiebreaker in their favor.
The Battle of Winning Streaks
With a spot in the semifinals on the line, one winning streak will have to come to an end when Alex Eala and Mananchaya Sawangkaew face off.
Sawangkaew, who is currently ranked World No. 173, enters the match on a four-match winning streak. She first defeated Yuriko Lily Miyazaki and Aoi Ito in the qualifying rounds of the tournament before beating Linda Klimovičová in the Round of 32 and Kayla Day in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Eala has won back-to-back matches in this tournament. The World No. 37 opened her campaign with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory over Hon before overcoming a tougher challenge from Charaeva, 6-2, 7-5.
With a spot in the Lexus Birmingham Open semis up for grabs, expect Eala and Sawangkaew to put on a fine performance.
Alex Eala Next Match
Tournament: WTA 125 Lexus Birmingham Open
Date and Time: Friday, June 5 at 10:00 p.m. (Time subject to change.)
Category: Singles (Main Draw, Quarterfinals)
