Alexandra Eala rounds out the final four of the Hong Kong Open with another straight set win.
Chris OddoNovember 6, 20262 minute read
Alexandra Eala battled ferociously to come through another entertaining tussle in Hong Kong on Friday. What else is new?
The 21-year-old saved 11 of 16 break points and played her best in the big moments to take out Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, 7-6(7), 7-5, saving a set point in the opener along the way as she reached the semifinals in Hong Kong.
Eala has yet to drop a set through three rounds in her second career appearance in Hong Kong, and she reaches her sixth career WTA semifinal, and fourth of 2026.
“It was a roller coaster, for sure, and an incredible battle,” Eala said. “So I don’t know what inspired me or kept me digging deeper, but Antonia played a really amazing match, and I’m blessed to be able to play another round here.”
Thanks to her win, she leapfrogs Naomi Osaka and rises to a career-high No. 16 in the live rankings.
Eala raced out to a 5-0 lead in the opening-set tiebreak after a run of six consecutive service breaks took the pair to six-all. Ruzic hit back, saved a pair of set points and had a set point of her own at 7-6. Eala recovered and converted her third set point.
Ruzic rallied from a break down to level at four-all in the second set, but Eala broke critically at 5-5, then served out the match, converting her third match point.
“I think more than staying focused, it was just choosing to push through and give everything that I have,” she said.
The Filipina sensation will face No. 4 seed Maria Sakkari in the semifinals. The Greek took out Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-2, 6-3, on Friday.
Alexandra Shubladze will face American Claire Liu in the top-half semifinal.
