Alex Eala will have a familiar opponent in the third round of the US Open.
Close friend Iva Jovic stands in the Filipina’s way.
Jovic defeated Francesca Jones, 6-4, 6-4, in their second-round matchup Friday to arrange a duel with the World No. 18 tennister.
The American is ranked 14th in the world and is seeded 14th in the tourney.
‘Yeah, I’m super excited. The atmosphere is gonna be amazing, and she’s been playing some great tennis,’ Jovic said.
‘So, it’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam, so hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this,’ she added.
Eala and Jovic have faced each other twice in singles’ play as seniors.
Jovic has defeated Eala in both the French Open and the HSBC Championships. The American is yet to drop a set against the Filipina sensation.
The two also faced off in a Stars of the Open exhibition matchup last week, where the 18-year-old and her father defeated Eala and her dad Michael.