When Alex Eala steps onto the center court of the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center on Wednesday for what will once again be the featured match of the day, she will be playing for more than just a spot in the next round.

The second-seeded Eala faces Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume, the third-highest ranked Japanese player in the world, in the second round of the WTA Philippine Women’s Open.

The Filipina star cruised through her opening match on Monday, dispatching Russia’s Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2.

Sakatsume, meanwhile, showcased her form on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over compatriot and former world No. 56 Nao Hibino, 6-3, 7-5.

Eala will also be seeking payback against the 24-year-old Sakatsume, who handed her a lopsided defeat at the 2023 WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Sakatsume needed just one hour and 14 minutes to overwhelm the then 18-year-old Eala, 6-0, 6-3.

However, even with the backing of an expected large Filipino crowd, defeating Sakatsume will be no easy task given the Japanese player’s strong run of form in recent months.

Last October, Sakatsume made a breakthrough run as a qualifier at the Hong Kong Open, reaching the quarterfinals and stunning former Australian Open champion and French Open finalist Sofia Kenin of the United States in the opening round.

Eala also competed in the same tournament but bowed out in the second round to eventual champion Victoria Mboko of Canada.

Sakatsume carried that momentum by capturing the ITF W100 Takasaki title in Japan, then followed it up this January with a semifinal appearance at the WTA 125 Canberra Tennis International after coming through the qualifiers.

At the Australian Open, she survived three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw of the season’s first Grand Slam.

The winner of the clash between world No. 49 Eala and world No. 140 Sakatsume will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the second-round matchup between fifth seed Camila Osorio of Colombia and Japan’s Mai Hontama.

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