Eala hopes to extend mastery over Vekic in Berlin Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

A familiar face will attempt to spoil Alex Eala’s campaign when the Grass Court Championships in Berlin, Germany, kick off today.

Olympian Donna Vekic of Croatia is ready for revenge, but the 21-year-old Filipina ace is hungrier than ever, as they are set to square off in the WTA 500’s Round of 32 stage today.

In retrospect, both netters have already met twice this year, with Eala leading the head-to-head matchup, 2-0, after wins in New Zealand and Australia.

Eala drew first blood in the Round of 32 of the 2026 ASB Classic in Auckland, where she reversed an opening-set loss to turn the tables, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Despite opening the first set with a commanding 3-0 lead, Vekic responded with authority, capping the opener with a 6-1 run to seal the 1-0 lead.

Things got interesting in the last two sets as Eala finally broke out of her slump, leaning on a barrage of down-the-line topspin forehand winners to frustrate the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medalist.

The win was within reach after Eala raced to a 5-3 advantage in the third and final set, collecting back-to-back service hold points and a break to outduel Vekic.

On Jan. 14, 2026, Eala reasserted her mastery over Vekic during the second game day of the Kooyong Classic tournament in Melbourne.

Eala never lost a step, doing it in more emphatic fashion after completing the overwhelming sweep, 6-3, 6-4.

She bucked an early 1-2 deficit in the opening set before taking control of the pace after scoring a crucial break point to build a 4-2 lead.

Just like her second-set wizardry in their first encounter, Eala banked on her efficient return aces whenever she saw a gap in Vekic’s sloppy second-service possessions.

All Eala needed was a step closer inside the midcourt to unload her down-the-line forehand power.

When the first set reached 5-3, the 20-year-old Filipina stuck to her game plan and didn’t give Vekic any room to breathe.

Unlike their ASB Classic showdown, where numerous long rally exchanges summed up her comeback win, Eala was more precise with her shot-making and seemed more comfortable with the gusting wind factor.

Can Eala repeat over Vekic and increase her head-to-head matchup lead to 3-0?