Alex Eala draws Alycia Parks in Hong Kong Tennis Open first round as No. 2 seed - GMA Network

Alexandra “Alex” Eala is seeded No. 2 in the Hong Kong Tennis Open, with the WTA 250 tournament set to begin its main draw on Monday.

Eala, currently ranked world No. 19, joins top seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Canadian Leylah Fernandez, Greek Maria Sakkari, Australian Talia Gibson, China's Wang Xinyu, Liudmila Samsonova, and British player Katie Boulter among the tournament's top seeds.

Also included in the player field are tennis icon Venus Williams, who received a wildcard, Eala's previous opponents Alina Charaeva, Maya Joint, and Dayana Yastremska, as well as her friend Zeynep Sonmez.

Eala will face American Alycia Parks in the first round, setting up their third career meeting and third showdown this year.

Parks defeated Eala in their first encounter in the opening round of the Australian Open in January, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2. Eala then exacted revenge at the Canadian Open in August, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

The winner of the match will face either Czech player Tereza Valentova or China's Sun Xinran in the next round.

Eala is coming off a quarterfinal exit at the Pan Pacific Open, where she lost to eventual champion Diana Shnaider, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.