Alex Eala is one match away from adding another milestone to her rapidly growing tennis résumé, but not before making Greek veteran Maria Sakkari work overtime for the privilege of facing her in the Prudential Hong Kong Open final.
The Filipina fought through a three-set semifinal thriller on Saturday, overcoming the former world No. 3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, to reach the championship match of the WTA 250 tournament.
It was hardly a straightforward afternoon. Sakkari had the experience, the firepower and enough opportunities to turn the match around. Eala, however, had other plans, and apparently an unusually generous supply of aces.
The 21-year-old fired 12 aces against Sakkari’s two, giving herself a valuable weapon in a contest that lasted three sets. She also won 119 points against the Greek’s 108, despite surrendering the second set.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Eala converted only five of 22 break-point opportunities, while Sakkari managed four of nine. The Filipino’s inability to capitalize on more chances could have made the match considerably shorter, or her supporters considerably less nervous.
But Eala found a way to close it out, showing the composure needed to survive a demanding semifinal against an opponent who has spent years among the world’s elite.
The numbers also reflected Eala’s willingness to take risks. She won 70 service points to Sakkari’s 59 and held her ground in the decisive third set, even as the Greek continued to threaten on return.
Beyond the trophy, the victory carries a potentially significant ranking reward. Eala is now in a strong position to climb to a career-best No. 15 when the WTA rankings are updated next week, another milestone in a season that has steadily expanded her standing in the sport.
She will face American Claire Liu in the championship match after Liu defeated Alexandra Shubladze in the other semifinal.
Eala has already survived Sakkari’s experience and firepower. Now comes one final assignment: turn a nerve-racking semifinal triumph into a Hong Kong crown. A career-high ranking would be a welcome bonus, but a trophy would make the trip considerably sweeter.
