Eala battles Yastremska in rematch

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala starts her campaign in the 2026 Indian Wells Open (BNP Paribas) main draw against tough customer and familiar foe in Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine on Saturday.

Yastremska, WTA No. 52, swept No. 62 Shuai Zhang of China, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round yesterday to earn a shot at Eala, who, as WTA No. 32, joined heavyweights in automatic passage into the Round of 64.

It will be their second encounter after the 20-year-old Filipina drubbed Yastremska, 25, in the quarterfinals of the Eastbourne Open in June last year, 6-1, 6-2.

Eala went on to advance to the finale of that grass tourney, and became the first-ever Filipina WTA finalist but then fell short against Maya Joint of Australia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7(10-12).

Expectations are high for Eala to repeat over Yastremska to arrange a second-round duel against either her good friend Coco Gauff (WTA No. 4) of USA or Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan (WTA No. 88).

But there’s no guarantee against a player like Yastremska, who reached a high of No. 21 in the WTA rankings in 2020 and went on to reach the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open.

Gauff is just one of the big guns Eala is hoping to face in the 1000-level event alongside world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Russia, No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 3 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and a host of other titans.