Tracy Cabrera
It was a heartbreaking loss for Filipina rising star Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala as she failed in her bid for a second Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title, losing to American ace Claire Liu in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, in the Prudential Hong Kong Open final.
Eala entered the WTA 250 tournament as the Number 2 seed but the lower ranked Liu at 102nd played a composed and authoritative performance to claim her first tour-level title.
The unseeded American now owns a 2-0 career record against the world No. 17, having also defeated the Filipina in three sets at the 2025 Guangzhou Open.
“First and foremost I want to congratulate Claire on an amazing tournament,” Eala enthused during her runner-up speech, showing her sportsmanship and humility.
“A great week and a great match, it was very well deserved, she added.
The country’s pride obviously lamented the missed opportunity: “I would like to thank the tournament staff and organisers for the amazing hospitality and the physios for keeping me together. And, of course, the fans. Thank you.”
“Wrapping up this year, you guys don’t know how much meaning you add on top of what I do and how much of a pleasure it is to go about my life sharing these moments with you all, so I am forever grateful,” she shared.
The 21-year-old Filipinas tennis ace started to cry when she talkef about the support and contributions made by her team and family through her campaign.
“This season has changed my life. It has changed my life for the better, I am incredibly proud of the work we have put in this year. We are the only ones who truly knew what it took to arrive at this point in our journey.”
“Thank you so, so much. This is only the beginning and this one like all of them, is ours, so congratulations.”
Eala and Liu recorded comfortable holds in the first two games but then traded breaks in the third and fourth games before holding again in the fifth and sixth games.
Eala then took a medical timeout before the seventh game and Liu seized the opportunity to take control, winning the final three games of the set, including the decisive break in the eighth game.
Liu’s effectiveness on serve proved a significant difference in the opening set as she landed 86 percent of her first serves, compared with 55 percent for Eala, allowing the American to dictate more consistently despite the Filipina winning 11 return points to Liu’s eight.
In ending, Eala flaunted her true mettle in playing her favorite sport: “I am going to go home and lay in bed for a week and not move and then I will have to train again.”
“I am looking forward to coming back next year and I am super happy,” she asserted to conclude.
