In a rare and compelling matchup, two Filipinas find themselves on opposite sides of the clay court as Alex Eala takes on fellow left-handed Leylah Fernandez in the opening round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany on Monday, April 12.

Match is set not before 4 p.m. (Philippine time) with Eala set to clash with Fernandez, a Canadian of Filipino descent, for the first time in her professional career.

Eala was initially slated to compete in the qualifying rounds, but moved into the main draw following Zheng Qinwen’s withdrawal due to injury.

Eala and Fernandez have already crossed paths off the court, with Fernandez once describing the 20-year-old Eala was a “sweet girl, and amazing person.”

“When I see her, we always talk a little bit. It helps that we are around the same age,” Fernandez, 23, mentioned in a previous interview last year.

But expect this on-court collision to be all business as Eala looks to bounce back from a second-round loss to Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko at the Linz Open in Austria last week.

Fernandez, whose maternal grandparents hail from Leyte and Ilocos Norte, for her part, last saw action at the Charleston Open two weeks ago, where she also exited in the second round after a straight-sets loss to Diana Schnaider.

On paper, Fernandez brings a wealth of experience, highlighted by a runner-up finish to Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open. She has also won five Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles titles and is currently ranked No. 25 in the world.

The world No. 46-ranked Eala, meanwhile, won her breakthrought WTA crown at the Guadalajara Open last year.

While Fernandez is Eala’s immediate concern in this WTA 500 event, she finds herself in a daubnting half of the draw that features Jasmine Paolini, Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva and top seed Elena Rybakina.

The Stuttgart tournament serves as Eala’s build-up for the WTA1000 Mutua Madrid Open, as well as the Roland Garros next month.