Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala meet in one of the most eagerly anticipated third‑round clashes of this year's US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.
This battle is between two rising stars of the WTA Tour who have become close friends and now see their careers intertwining in fascinating ways.
They have already faced off twice before this year with American teenager Jovic winning both in straight sets, however, Eala arrives in the form of her life with eight wins in her last 10 matches.
The 21-year-old became the first Filipina to clinch a WTA singles title when she won in Washington last month, beating two-time champion Jessica Pegula in the final.
The victory extended Eala's winning streak against top-10 opponents to five matches following victories over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina (twice) and Iga Swiatek.
Jovic was made to sweat, as much by the conditions as her opponent and regular hitting partner Fran Jones in round two but has also yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows.
This match-up promises to be much more fun, although fans cannot expect the players' fathers to get a hit as they did when they were on opposite sides of the net on Ashe at the "Stars of the Open" US Open exhibition last week.
Iva Jovic v Alexandra Eala Tips Summary
Best Bet - Alexandra Eala Over 4.5 breaks of serve @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Total sets - 3 @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Alexandra Eala to win, 1st Set: Under 9.5 games & Iva Jovic first break of serve @ 11/1
Iva Jovic v Alexandra Eala Prediction
Best Bet: Alexandra Eala Over 4.5 breaks of serve @ 5/6
Eala's superb hard-court campaign shows no signs of grinding to a halt just yet, despite the fact that Thursday's second-round win was her 12th match in little over a month.
She served efficiently against Oleksandra Oliynykova and never looked to be in trouble, even when her Ukrainian opponent switched tactics in the second set.
Eala punished Oliynykova's second serve and capitalised on almost all of her break-point opportunities, taking five of the seven on offer.
That number falls in line with the average number of breaks per match she achieved en route to the Washington title, when she overcame two current top-10 players and former US Open champion Naomi Osaka.
Jovic, one of the brightest American prospects, has been solid on serve so far and didn't waver in either of her previous wins over Eala.
She faced nine break points and lost only three when they meet at the French Open earlier this year, but Eala is a different player now following her win over Pegula in the Washington final and on the back of her surge to the second week of Wimbledon.
She can apply more pressure on Jovic than before and backing the Filipina to break five or more times looks the most sensible play.
Alternative Bet: Total sets - 3 @ 11/10
For those who may prefer not to oppose Jovic directly given her 2-0 head-to-head advantage, the total sets market offers a strong alternative.
There is a compelling argument that this clash should be much closer than either of their previous meetings, which the American won relatively comfortably.
Jovic's serve was arguably the big difference-maker on both of those contests, but Eala has stepped it up of late and now probably has the more reliable second serve.
The Filipina won almost 69% of her second service points against Oliynykova and anything like that again should ensure she is much tougher to break this time around.
Eala rarely blows opponents away on hard courts unless she is dominating the return games.
Her preference for constructing points rather than rushing them often leads to extended sets and may lead to a deciding set on Saturday.
Iva Jovic v Alexandra Eala Bet Builder Tip
Alexandra Eala to win
1st Set: Under 9.5 games
Iva Jovic first break of serve
Pays 11/1
Eala's form and confidence make her an intriguing play to defeat her friend at the third time of asking. Jovic has done little wrong but hasn't hit the same performance heights as the Filipina.
Three of their four previous sets were completed before the ninth game and that trend could continue with whichever player gains the upper hand likely to take the first set quickly.
Jovic has broken first both times they have met and, although Eala has grown in confidence, the American still looks like a good play to apply the early pressure.
Key Match Stats
Iva Jovic leads Eala 2-0 in 2026 (French Open, Queen’s Club)
Alexandra Eala has won seven matches against top‑10 opponents this year
Eala has dropped just seven games across her first two US Open rounds
Jovic has won both her matches in straight sets
Eala reached the Wimbledon last-16 earlier this summer
Their only previous Grand Slam meeting ended 6‑4 6‑2 to Jovic at Roland Garros
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
