HONG KONG — Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala punched her ticket to the championship round of the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open on Saturday, November 7, after surviving a grueling, rain-interrupted semifinal clash against former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Displaying remarkable resolve less than 24 hours after her quarterfinal victory over Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, the 21-year-old Eala overcame physical fatigue and weather delays to secure a hard-fought 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 triumph.
The match, which lasted two hours and 43 minutes and faced seven rain interruptions, saw Eala fend off a fierce challenge from the veteran Greek star. After splitting the first two sets, Eala nearly squandered a 4-1 lead in the decider before steadying herself in an intense baseline exchange.
Tied at 4-4, she matched Sakkari’s powerful groundstrokes to claim the final two games and seal the victory.
With the win, Eala advances to face American Claire Liu, who booked her own finals berth after defeating Russia’s Alexandra Shubladze, 7-5, 6-4. The upcoming title match serves as a redemption opportunity for Eala, who is eager to avenge her Round of 32 loss to Liu at the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open last year.
Eala is now eyeing her second career WTA Tour title, following her historic maiden triumph at the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C., last August.