Alex Eala eyes repeat vs Elina Svitolina at DC Open quarterfinals

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala eyes a semifinal berth at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open on Saturday against World No. 10 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

Eala battles Svitolina for the second time this year. Their match is scheduled for not earlier than 6:30 am (Manila time).

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The Ukrainian, seeded second in the tournament, got a first-round bye and took down Polina Kudermetova, 7-6(4), 6-4, to reach the quarterfinal.

The Filipino tennis ace, meanwhile, ended the reign of defending champion Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6(1), to reach the Final Eight.

The 21-year-old Eala looks to repeat over Svitolina after winning their quarterfinal duel at the Berlin Open last June, 6-3, 6-4.

The 31-year-old Svitolina is a former World No.3 player and winner of 20 titles. She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open and is also a consistent quarterfinalist in the French Open.

The survivor of the Eala-Svitolina rematch takes on the winner between Naomi Osaka and Elisa Cocciaretto in the Final Four.