Daijiworld Media Network - Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Nov 8: Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala missed out on her maiden WTA Tour singles title after suffering a straight-sets defeat to American Claire Liu in the final of the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
Liu, ranked No. 102 in the WTA PIF Rankings, defeated second-seeded Eala 6-3, 6-0 in one hour and 33 minutes to clinch her first singles title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
The final began on an evenly matched note, with both players exchanging breaks in the opening six games to leave the first set tied at 3-3. However, Liu raised her level thereafter, winning nine consecutive games to take control of the contest and seal a comprehensive victory.
Liu did not drop a set throughout the tournament, defeating Tatiana Prozorova, Katie Boulter, Zeynep Sonmez and Alexandra Shubladze in straight sets before overcoming Eala in the final.
Despite the one-sided scoreline in the second set, Liu acknowledged that the contest was much closer than the result suggested.
"I feel like even though it was 6-0 in the second, but every game was back and forth. She had chances, I think, in almost every single game. I don't think the score shows the full story. It was definitely really close at each point. I feel like it was almost, like in order to win a point, you had to hit a winner. I think we both played some really good tennis," Liu said after the victory.
The win is expected to take Liu back into the world's top 70, having started the year ranked No. 221. She was competing in only her seventh main-draw tournament of the season and had reached a career-high ranking of No. 52 in January 2023.
The victory also marked Liu's second win over Eala in as many meetings. She had defeated the Filipino in three sets in the first round in Guangzhou last year.
"It couldn't have been a better end to the year. I want to thank my team for sticking by me and grinding, and I'm so happy with the way that we've ended this year. It's been super tough and I'm just so looking forward to next year," Liu said during the on-court presentation ceremony.
For Eala, this was her third appearance in a WTA Tour singles final, leaving her with a 1-2 record in championship matches.
Reflecting on her season, the Filipino remained positive despite the disappointment of missing out on the title.
"This season has just, it's changed my life. It's changed my life for the better. I'm incredibly proud of the work we've put in this year and we (my team and I) are the only ones who truly know what it took to arrive to this point in our journey. This is only the beginning and this one, like all of them, is ours, so congratulations," Eala said.