WITH their names often mentioned in the same breath among tennis’ rising stars, Alex Eala and Victoria Mboko get to test each other’s mettle for the first time in their young professional careers.
The Filipino world No. 51 faces the Canadian No. 21 in the second round of the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Thursday, with play starting at 6:30 p.m. (Manila time).
The Hong Kong leg marks the sixth and final stop of Eala's Asian Swing — a stretch that feels closest to home.
READ: Alex Eala returns to top form in familiar HK surroundings
The 20-year-old pride of the Philippines booked her ticket to the round of 16 after Great Britain’s Katie Boulter retired in the second set, sealing Eala’s 6-4, 2-1 win last Tuesday.
Mboko, 19, the tournament’s third seed, survived a gritty three-setter over Australia’s Talia Gibson, 6(2)-7, 6-1, 6-4, on the same day.
Parallel rise
The Canadian has been on a steady rise, highlighted by her breakthrough at the WTA 1000 Montreal Open where she stunned Naomi Osaka, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, to capture her maiden tour-level title and break into the Top 50 at No. 23.
Earlier this year, while Eala was already earning her place in Grand Slam main draws, Mboko was still battling through qualifiers.
Eala, for her part, continues her pursuit of a first tour-level crown after securing her maiden WTA 125 title last September in Guadalajara, Mexico.
She cracked the Top 100 earlier in the season following a breakout run at the Miami Open in March.
Their long-awaited duel takes center stage at Victoria Park’s Centre Court.
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