Filipina tennis star Alex Eala saw her singles campaign at the Guangzhou Open come to a close after a tough 6–2, 4–6, 4–6 defeat to American Claire Liu in a thrilling center court clash on Tuesday.
Eala, the tournament’s fourth seed, looked in full control early on, dominating the opening set 6–2 with aggressive baseline play and strong service games. But Liu, currently ranked No. 305 in the WTA rankings, found her rhythm in the second set, rallying back with four aces and capitalizing on key errors from Eala.
The second set saw both players exchange early breaks before Eala edged ahead 4–2. However, Liu stormed back, winning four straight games to take the set and level the match.
In a tense decider, Eala once again seized the lead at 4–3, showing flashes of brilliance and resilience. But Liu responded with clutch serving, including a crucial ace and a perfectly timed counter drop-shot winner to swing momentum in her favor at 5–4.
Serving for the match, the American quickly jumped to 40–0 with her fifth ace of the match. Eala managed to save two match points, but Liu held her nerve to seal the comeback and book a spot in the next round.
Despite the singles setback, the 20-year-old Eala will continue her campaign in the doubles event, partnering with Ukrainian veteran Nadiia Kichenok, currently ranked No. 62 in the WTA doubles standings.
The duo is set to face the fourth-seeded team of Emily Appleton (No. 80) and Qianhui Tang (No. 78) in their opening doubles match.
