Eala clips Sakkari, enters hk final
ALEX Eala walks the tightrope before posting a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win over Maria Sakkari of Greece on Saturday to make the Hong Kong Tennis Open final.
Photograph courtesy of MAY JAMES/agence france-presse
Not even rain delays could stop Alex Eala from reaching the final of the Hong Kong Tennis Open as she whipped world No. 30 Maria Sakkari of Greece, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Eala battled for two hours and 43 minutes to move within a victory of capturing her second Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title.
Eala overcame a mid-set fightback from Sakkari to take the opening set, 7-5, after 51 minutes.
The Filipina broke the Greek’s serve in the opening game and built a 3-1 lead, only for Sakkari to storm back and level the score at 3-3.
The two continued to trade breaks, with Sakkari taking a 5-4 lead before Eala held serve to draw level. Eala then broke the Greek in the 11th game before holding serve to close out the set.
Sakkari responded in the second set, breaking Eala in the second game to build a 3-0 lead.
The Greek maintained her advantage with steady service holds, keeping Eala at bay before closing out the set, 6-3, to force a decider as she was able to maintain her momentum despite the rain delays.
With the third set tied at 4-4, Eala held serve to take a crucial 5-4 lead before breaking Sakkari in the next game to seal the victory.
Eala will next face world No. 102 Claire Liu of the United States in Sunday’s final, with the match time yet to be announced.
A victory would earn Eala $37,390, or around P2.4 million, along with 250 ranking points and her second career WTA title.