Alex Eala suffers shock defeat to Claire Liu in season-ending Hong Kong final

Metro Manila, Philippines — Alex Eala fell short of capturing another WTA title after falling to world No. 102 Claire Liu, 6-3, 6-0, in the Hong Kong Open final on Sunday, Nov. 8, settling for a runner-up finish in her season-ending tournament.

The 21-year-old Eala kept it close early, trailing just 4-3 in the opening set. But after taking a medical timeout at that point, the Filipino tennis ace struggled to regain her footing as Liu pulled away for good.

Liu dominated the second set, serving Eala a bagel en route to a breakthrough career singles title at the WTA 250 level.

Eala takes home $22,125 (around ₱1.4 million) for her runner-up finish, along with 163 ranking points that will propel her into the world’s Top 15.

The defeat caps a monumental year for Eala, highlighted by her maiden tour title at the WTA 500 DC Open in Washington last August, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in a three-set thriller in the final.