By Joel Reyes

 

Alex Eala will resume her campaign at the 2026 Birmingham Open on Thursday, with the Filipina tennis star set to face Alina Charaeva in the second round at Edgbaston Priory Club.

 

This will be the third meeting between Eala and Charaeva, with their head-to-head matchup currently tied at 1-1. They first faced each other at the W15 Melilla tournament back in September 2020, with Charaeva recording a 6-3, 6-3 win.

 

 

Eala gained some revenge in their second meeting earlier this year, beating Charaeva 6-1, 6-2 at the Philippine Women's Open.

 

This will be the pair's first meeting on grass, though, with their past matchups happening on the clay and hard courts.

 

Eala didn't break a sweat in her first-round match against Priscilla Hon last Tuesday, with the No. 1 seed securing a comprehensive 6-0, 6-2 win in just 59 minutes.

 

Charaeva, on the other hand, booked her place in the Round of 16 after beating Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-1