Alex Eala falls to Claire Liu in Guangzhou opener, eyes redemption in Hong Kong

The Filipina star’s campaign at the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open came to an abrupt halt after a grueling three-set battle with American Claire Liu on Tuesday night.

The fourth-seeded Alex Eala, who started strong and took the first set with commanding poise, couldn’t sustain her momentum as Liu stormed back to take the match, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, after two hours and 28 minutes of high-quality tennis.

It was a tale of two halves for the 20-year-old Filipina. After dropping serve early in the opening game, Eala quickly found her rhythm, breaking back immediately and reeling off four straight games to claim the first set in just 40 minutes.

Her depth, placement, and consistency kept Liu scrambling, as she appeared poised to notch her first WTA 250 main-draw win in weeks.

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Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala bowed out of the Guangzhou Open singles competition after a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 loss to Claire Liu

Eala continues her campaign in the doubles event w/ Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok vs 4th seeded Emily Appleton & Qianhui Tang

WTA Site pic.twitter.com/w0p0JCz8Xj

— Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) October 21, 2025

But Liu — a former world junior No. 1 and 2023 top-60 player now rebuilding her form after injury — showed why experience still matters on this level. 

Having fought through qualifying with wins over Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and Linda Fruhvirtova, the 25-year-old American displayed grit and composure in the tightest moments.

Eala surged ahead 4-2 in the second set, only for Liu to respond with clever angles and deeper returns that forced the Filipina off-balance. Momentum shifted once more in the decider, where Eala led 3-1 before Liu once again clawed back, breaking her serve twice to complete the comeback.

The loss marked Eala’s second straight first-round exit and her fourth consecutive defeat on the tour — a frustrating stretch for a player who has been making steady progress up the rankings, recently climbing to a career-high No. 53 in the world.

Still, the young Filipina remains undeterred. With one tournament left in her 2025 campaign — next week’s WTA Hong Kong Open — Eala is determined to close the year on a stronger note, carrying lessons from these tough back-to-back battles.

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