Ostapenko waits in ambush as Eala battles Grabher in Linz opener

April 6 ------ A POTENTIAL trilogy showdown with world No. 12 Jelena Ostapenko awaits the start of Alex Eala’s clay season at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz.

For that to happen, Eala must first get past Austria’s Julia Grabher in the Round of 32 —the first career meeting for the two pros. Eala enters the WTA 500 tournament at world No. 45, from a career-high of No. 29, while Grabher sits at No. 87 after previously peaking at No. 54.

The match marks Eala’s ninth tournament of the season and her first on clay, following an eight-tournament stretch that included stops in Auckland, the Australian Open, the PH Women’s Open, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Dubai Duty Free, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open.

Awaiting the winner of the match is fourth-seed Ostapenko, raising the possibility of a third meeting between Eala and the Latvian. Eala posted a 2-0 record against Ostapenko in 2025, winning 7-6, 7-5 at the Miami Open and 0-6, 6-2, 3-2 at the Lexus Eastbourne Open.

Eala and Grabher will see action at 5:00 PM on Monday, Manila time. From her end, Grabher is coming off a stint at WTA 125K Antalya where she got as far as the round of 16. Eala, meanwhile, had a week off since her fourth-round exit at the WTA 1000 Miami Open.

Source: spin.ph