CAN Alex Eala cap off her amazing 2026 season with another title?
That's exactly what the Filipina tennis star will try to accomplish as she heads to the finals of the WTA250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.
Pushed to the limit once more, Eala got the better of world no. 30 Maria Sakkari of Greece, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in their semifinal matchup on Saturday at Victoria Park Centre Court in Causeway Bay.
She now heads to the championship on Sunday where she will face world no. 102 Claire Liu of USA, who beat Alexandra Shubladze, 7-5, 6-4.
It was another exhausting match for Eala, one that lasted for two hours and 43 minutes but actually stretched into three hours and 22 minutes including rain delays, but the world no. 17 pulled through when it mattered the most.
"I think I was just blank. It was a lot of patience but a lot of focus gave me time to really focus in on the next points, but I'm really happy that I was able to come out of that a better player," said Eala.
Up 3-0 and later on 4-1 in the third set, Eala saw Sakkari rally back and tie the game at 4-all. But she kept on pushing and took the next two games, breaking the Greek's serve with a magnificent forehand to clinch the match.
"I think that in that moment she really stepped up and brought what she needed to bring to come back and so I tried every point to stay there and step up myself," said Eala, who secured USD62,115 from the prize pot for making it to the final while also raking in 165 ranking points.
Eala earned 39 winners in the match and had success in 79-percent of her first serves despite Sakkari getting 12 aces in the match.
Now, the second-seed will have to make a quick pivot as she tries to earn her second WTA title after winning in the WTA500 Mubadala DC Open in Washington DC back in July.
"Everything that I've learned this year, I'll just try to cap it off with a good match, win or lose," said Eala. “I'm really happy so I'm gonna try to be positive going into the final."
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