Alex Eala confirms what she plans to do in the Hong Kong final after beating Maria Sakkari

Alex Eala secured her place in the Hong Kong Open final after defeating former world number three Maria Sakkari in a grueling three-set match. Eala, who had not lost a set prior to the semi-finals, overcame a 4-1 deficit in the deciding set to claim a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory. The match was affected by rain, but Eala's focus and patience enabled her to overcome any interruptions.

This is Eala's second final appearance in 2026, following her win at the Washington Open earlier this year. After the match, Eala expressed her intention to stay positive and confident going into the Hong Kong Open final, which will be held on Sunday, November 8 against American Claire Liu. Eala remains over 80 places higher in rankings than Liu, but Liu has historically outperformed her in their previous match at the Guangzhou Open last year.

Eala will be aiming to repeat her strong performance, including hitting 79% first serves, against her opponent in the upcoming final.