Alex Eala shifts focus to Bad Homburg Open
MANILA, Philippines — FRESH off Berlin, Alex Eala faces a new challenge in Bad Homburg.Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala encounters another tough test in her 2026 Bad Homburg Open campaign opener as she will go against her previous tormentor, Elise Mertens of Belgium, in the first round scheduled on Monday.The 21-year-old Eala needs to gather herself quickly as she just came from a semifinals exit in the 2026 Berlin Open, bowing to the Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova, 6-2, 6-4, last Sunday morning (Manila time).Mertens, a 30-year-old veteran netter, currently ranked No. 24 in the world, looks to overpower the young World No. 30 Eala in their clash.The Belgian has won two games over Eala, specifically in the 2026 Madrid Open (Round of 64) last April 2026 with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win, and in October 2023 in the Jasmin Open (7-5, 6-0).Despite Mertens leading the head-to-head match with a 2-0 card and emerging victorious in straight sets, this is her first clash against Eala on grass.The Filipina has been showing that she moves comfortably on the grass surface after scoring huge upsets over World No.2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and World No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in Berlin.Eala, a left-handed netter, has shown significant improvement on her aggressive forehand swings, and has stunned her opponents with her shot variety with spin, slice, and pace changes.Meanwhile, Mertens is known as a great baseline defender and strong backhand for redirection.The Belgian reached a career-high of World No. 12 in 2018, while Eala reached a career-high of World No. 29 last March 2026.In Eala’s 2025 campaign on grass, the Filipina has introduced herself in the tennis scene after reaching the main draw in the Nottingham Open and finishing as a runner-up in the Eastbourne Open.On Eala’s doubles campaign with tennis legend Venus Williams of the United States—the pair’s match against Shuko Aoyama and Liang En-shuo was cancelled, as their opponents withdrew.
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