A Hard-Fought Semi-Final Win
Alex Eala continued her stunning 2026 campaign by defeating Maria Sakkari 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open on Saturday, booking her place in a third WTA Tour final. The second-seeded Eala was relentless on return, generating a remarkable 22 break points across the match and converting five of them. She built a commanding 4-1 lead in the deciding set, only for Sakkari to claw her way back to 4-4 and test Eala's composure. The Filipino star held firm, breaking when it mattered most as Sakkari served to stay in the contest at 4-5.
Rain delays repeatedly interrupted the match, but Eala described using those interruptions to sharpen her focus rather than lose her rhythm. She credited a conscious commitment to staying positive as the key mental tool throughout the contest. It was also her first career meeting with Sakkari, a former world number three, making the victory all the more impressive.
Rankings History Made Before the Final Ball
The win did more than send Eala to Sunday's final. It pushed her points total to 2,392, allowing her to leapfrog Sorana Cirstea and enter the top 15 of the Live WTA Rankings at 15th. She began this season ranked 53rd in the world, making 2026 by far the best year of her career. Even before facing Sakkari, she had already climbed to a projected ranking of 16th, so the semi-final result locked in a top-15 debut when the official rankings refresh on Monday.
Standing between Eala and her second WTA title on Sunday is Claire Liu, the world number 102, who reached the final without dropping a set. Liu defeated Katie Boulter along the way and owns the head-to-head lead from a 2025 meeting. TennisDraw users had Eala as a strong finalist pick throughout the Hong Kong draw this week.
