Philippines trailblazer Eala stunned by Liu in Hong Kong final

HONG KONG - American tennis player Alex Eala, ranked 102, fell short of claiming her second WTA Tour title after a grueling match against unseeded Claire Liu at the Hong Kong Open final on Sunday. Eala, 26, triumphed over Liu 6-3, 6-0, marking her first professional victory. Despite being the underdog, she maintained a strong start, breaking Liu's serve in the eighth game of the first set.

However, she struggled to capitalize on the opening set point, but managed to secure the second, leaving a significant number of her supporters disheartened. Eala, who was nursing a knee injury and sporting a bandage, faced early pressure in the second set after Liu broke her serve in the opening game. Eala, currently at a career-high ranking of 17 in the world, had been aiming to add to her title from Washington, DC, in August, making her the first athlete from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour event.