ALEX Eala has another high hurdle in front of her in the WTA Tour, headed for a first-ever meeting with world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the Round of 32 of the Italian Open.
Eala advanced after defeating Wang Xinyu in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, continuing her strong run on clay in Rome.
READ: Alex Eala ousts world No. 33 Wang, reaches Italian Open third round
Rybakina, meanwhile, moved through with a commanding win over Maria Sakkari in the second round.
The matchup marks the first career meeting between Eala and Rybakina.
Eala and world No. 2 players
It also makes Rybakina the second world No. 2 Eala will duel in her young career.
The Filipina previously took on Iga Swiatek last year across three tournaments, with the latter boasting a 2-1 record against the former.
Eala has also had several battles against top 10 stars in the likes of Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini, among others.
Eala and Rybakina will meet on Sunday, not before 4:00 PM.
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