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Alex Eala loses Hong Kong Open final to Claire Liu, rises to career-high No. 15
Community · Hong Kong

Alex Eala loses Hong Kong Open final to Claire Liu, rises to career-high No. 15

By Kislap Editorial ·

Second seed Alex Eala lost the Hong Kong Tennis Open final 6-3, 6-0 to American Claire Liu at Victoria Park on Sunday, 8 November, but the runner-up finish lifted her to a career-high No. 15 in the WTA rankings.

Alex Eala finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Sunday, 8 November, as American Claire Liu beat the second seed 6-3, 6-0 in the final at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, The SUN Hong Kong reported.

Liu, ranked 102 going into the match, won her first tour title, AFP reported. The WTA said Liu captured her maiden title in Hong Kong without dropping a set.

How the final unfolded

The first set was level at 3-3, The SUN reported. Liu broke in the eighth game of the first set for a 5-3 lead, according to AFP, and took the set on her second set point. Eala called a medical timeout while trailing 3-4, The SUN said, and AFP reported that she finished the final with heavy strapping on her right leg.

Eala was immediately under pressure on her own serve at the start of the second set, and Liu broke after an attritional opening game, AFP said. AFP also noted the large number of Eala fans in the arena.

A new career high

The defeat still lifts Eala in the rankings. The WTA said she inches up two places from No. 17 to a new career high of No. 15 after making her third career tour-level final. Liu climbs 33 places from No. 102 to No. 69.

According to AFP, Eala started the year ranked 50th and clinched her maiden title in Washington DC in August, a win that made her the first player from the Philippines to win a tournament on the WTA Tour.

Becoming emotional as she addressed her team in the stands, Eala said: "I'm incredibly proud of the work we've put in this year." AFP reported that she dissolved into tears as she reflected on a "life-changing" season.

Liu, the 2017 Wimbledon girls' champion according to the WTA, said, as quoted by The SUN: "This week has been really fun, but also really mentally tough… I was just trying to take it one day at a time, and I found myself in the final."

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Key facts

  • American Claire Liu beat second seed Alex Eala 6-3, 6-0 in the Hong Kong Tennis Open final at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.
  • Liu, ranked No. 102 going into the match, won her first WTA Tour title and did not drop a set all week, according to AFP.
  • Eala rose two places from No. 17 to a career-high No. 15 in the WTA rankings after reaching her third career tour-level final, the WTA said.
  • Eala won her maiden WTA title in Washington DC in August, which AFP said made her the first player from the Philippines to win a tournament on the WTA Tour.

Official sources

Kislap reports this story for general information only. Nothing here is immigration, legal, financial, tax, medical, employment, or other professional advice; check official sources and speak with a qualified professional before acting.