Alex Eala faces Greek star Maria Sakkari in Hong Kong Tennis Open semis - GMA Network

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Alexandra 'Alex' Eala will look to punch her ticket to the finals in her last tournament of the year as she locks horns with Greece's Maria Sakkari in the Hong Kong Tennis Open semifinals on Saturday.

Alexandra 'Alex' Eala will look to punch her ticket to the finals in her last tournament of the year as she locks horns with Greece's Maria Sakkari in the Hong Kong Tennis Open semifinals on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Filipina star and the former world No. 3 are set for their first-ever meeting on the WTA Tour, with a place in the championship match at stake. Their showdown is scheduled at around 4 p.m. at Centre Court.

Eala has been giving it her all in her season finale, fending off multiple fightbacks from Australia's Emerson Jones to eke out a 6-4, 6-3 win in the Round of 32 before surviving yet another game in the Round of 16, pulling off a 6-4, 7-6(7) victory over Tereza Valentova, who had beaten her twice in as many of their previous meetings.

Eala needed to dig deep once more in the quarterfinals, hacking out a 7-6(7), 7-5 win to oust Croatia's Antonia Ruzic and enter the semifinals — her first Top 4 appearance in the Asian Swing.

Sakkari, currently ranked No. 30 and the fourth-seeded player in the tournament, likewise dominated her first three foes. The 31--year-old veteran first swept American Carol Young Suh Lee with a 6-1, 6-4 win before eliminating Maya Joint with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback.

In the quarterfinals, Sakkari booted out Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win and earned the right to face Eala in the semifinals.

Should Eala get past Sakkari, she will face either Alexandra Shubladze or Claire Lui in the finals.

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