Eala, Gauff on collision course

A possible rematch between Alex Eala and world No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States could happen as the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open was unveiled last Tuesday.

Seeded 31st in the prestigious Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event, the 20-year-old Eala will make her debut in the Round of 64 as facing either 2024 Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska or two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Zhang Shuai of China.

Meanwhile, Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, is also in the Last 64 as she takes on either world No. 130 Bianca Andreescu or a player from the qualifying round.

Should they both handle their respective foes, Eala and Gauff would clash for the second time in their careers.

Gauff previously won over Eala, 6-0, 6-2, in the Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates in front of a sold-out crowd.

Eala, a Rafael Nadal Academy almuna, said she still has to figure out how to close the gap between her and Gauff, who became her doubles partner in the Italian Open last May.

“But all things aside, I think there is still definitely a gap between me and Coco and the other players of her caliber. I think she did great and my job is to try and close that gap,” Eala said.

Before Eala focuses on her potential match with Gauff, she will have to keep her guard up against world No. 62 Zhang or No. 52 Yastremska.

Zhang is coming off a stellar run in the Merida Open in Mexico last week, making it as far as the semifinal before losing to Magdalena Fręch of Poland, 2-6, 7-6, 3-6.

As for the 25-year-old Yastremska, she is determined to make it big at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California after an early exit in the Merida Open where she lost to Marina Stakusic of Canada, 4-6, 3-6, in the Round of 32.