Philippines trailblazer Eala stunned by Liu in Hong Kong final

HONG KONG: Philippines trailblazer Alex Eala fell agonizingly short of winning a second WTA Tour title as she lost the Hong Kong Open final to unseeded Claire Liu on Sunday.

The American ranked 102 powered past the second seed 6-3, 6-0 for the first title of her career and did not drop a set all week.

Despite being the underdog, the 26-year-old broke in the eighth game of the first set for a 5-3 lead at Victoria Park.

The American squandered the first set point but gobbled up the second to leave the large number of Eala fans in the arena stunned.