Claire Liu stuns Alex Eala to win maiden WTA crown without dropping a set in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Nov 8 — Unseeded Claire Liu secured her maiden WTA title by defeating unseeded Alex Eala in the Hong Kong Open final, without dropping a single set. The 26-year-old American powered past the second seed 6-3, 6-0 in Victoria Park, breaking in the eighth game of the first set for a 5-3 lead. Eala, the 21-year-old Filipino ranked 17th in the world at the time, had to endure medical treatment and wore a bandage on his right knee at the beginning of the second set.

However, Liu eventually broke after an intense opening game to claim the lead, ultimately breaking Eala's resistance. Eala, who won another title in Washington, DC, in August, had been aiming to add to his tally by winning another tournament on the WTA Tour.