American tennis player Claire Liu defeated second seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in straight sets to win the women's singles title at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Sunday (Nov. 8).
The victory marked the first WTA Tour title of Liu's career, while runner-up Eala climbed to a new career-high ranking of No. 15 in the live rankings. Liu also rose to No. 69.
Eala struggled in the opening set and requested a medical timeout when trailing 3-4, receiving treatment on her right knee and taking painkillers. Her movement visibly slowed afterwards, and she was broken in the following game before losing the set 3-6.
The opening game of the second set developed into a prolonged battle, featuring as many as 11 deuces. Liu eventually broke Eala's serve after a 26-minute contest. Although Eala fought hard in several subsequent games, taking them to deuce, she was unable to turn the tide and lost five consecutive games.
Speaking after the match, Liu described the tournament as one of the best of the year. She thanked the crowd for their support, saying it had made every evening special, and added that she was delighted to win her first title in front of the HK fans.
Eala said the season had completely changed her life for the better. Thanking her team for its hard work throughout the year, she added that her family had also been in attendance that day and said she was extremely proud of what she had achieved this year.
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