Alex Eala returns to action at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, seeking revenge against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the Round of 64 of the WTA 1000 tournament.

Eala, the No. 17 seed and world No. 20, earned a first-round bye and will face Ruse, who advanced after defeating Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-0, 6-3.

The match will be a rematch of their 2024 US Open qualifying encounter, where Ruse rallied past Eala, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Eala will be making her Cincinnati Open debut after reaching the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto. The tournament also serves as part of her buildup for the US Open later this month.

The winner of the Eala-Ruse match will advance to face either No. 9 seed Amanda Anisimova or Zeynep Sonmez in the next round.