IN a duel of light, it was Lulu Sun who burned brighter in Jingshan, extinguishing Alex Eala’s title hopes with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 semifinal triumph on Saturday.
The match lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes.
The New Zealand lefty, seeded third and ranked world No. 146, handed the top-seeded Filipina her first defeat in four matches, snapping Eala’s previously spotless run.
Sun, a former world No. 39, also took the upper hand in their budding rivalry, 2-0, after previously defeating Eala in the 2024 Wimbledon qualifiers.
The victory earned Sun a finals date with home bet Ye-Xin Ma (world No. 234), who earlier stunned second seed Talia Gibson in a grueling 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 marathon.
Sun quickly imposed her dominance in the decider, racing to a 4-0 lead. Though Eala managed to claw back two games, the Kiwi eventually slammed the door shut.
After dropping the first set, Sun found her rhythm midway through the second, grabbing a 4-2 advantage. Eala fought back to level at 4-all, but Sun’s momentum proved too strong, forcing a deciding set.
Riding that wave, Sun opened the third with three straight games and never looked back.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
