Hong Kong, Nov 8 (IANS) 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 the second-seeded Eala 6-3, 6-0 in one hour and 33 minutes to claim her first singles title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
The final began on an even 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 from there, 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, the American acknowledged that the contest was more closely fought than the result suggested.
“I feel like even though it was 6-0 in the second, but every game was back and forth,” Liu said after the win. “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.”
The victory is set to take Liu back into the world’s top 70, having started the year ranked No. 221. She was playing in just her seventh main-draw tournament of the season and had reached a career-high ranking of No. 52 in January 2023.
The win also marked Liu’s second victory 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,” Liu said during the on-court presentation ceremony. “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.”
For Eala, it 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 falling short in the title clash.
“This season has just, it’s changed my life,” Eala said during her speech on court. “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.”
–IANS
hs/
