MANILA – Alexandra Eala fell short of capturing the Hong Kong Open crown. She suffered a 6-3, 6-0 defeat to American Claire Liu in the championship match on Sunday afternoon at the Victoria Park Centre Court in Hong Kong.
The second-seeded Filipina struggled to find her rhythm against Liu, who controlled the final and completed a dominant victory in just two sets to claim the WTA 250 title.
Eala managed to win only three games throughout the match, with Liu dictating the exchanges and limiting the Filipino star’s opportunities to mount a comeback.
The American was particularly effective on serve, landing 88 percent of her first serves and winning 63 percent of points behind them. She also converted five of her nine break-point chances, compared with Eala’s lone conversion from four opportunities.
Liu finished with five aces and just one double fault, while Eala recorded one ace and four double faults.
Both players won 32 service points, but Liu held a significant advantage in receiving points won, 34-20. She also collected 66 points overall against Eala’s 52.
Despite the disappointing result in the final, Eala completed an impressive Hong Kong Open campaign, reaching the championship round after victories over several opponents, including Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the semifinals.
The runner-up finish capped another significant tournament run for the Filipina, who continued to establish herself among the top competitors on the WTA Tour./PN
