Eala thumps Sakkari to seal Hong Kong Open final duel vs Liu

MANILA, Philippines -- Sporadic downpour and match suspensions could not stop Alex Eala’s parade.

Eala barged into the final of the Hong Kong Open after blasting Maria Sakkari, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in their semifinal matchup Saturday evening. 

The match was suspended multiple times as rains kept on affecting the court, but it could not stop Eala from heading to the championship round. 

"Yeah, I think that in that moment [to try to storm back in the third set,] she really stepped up and brought what she needed to bring to come back and so I tried every point to stay there and step up myself," she said. 

"I think just, I was just blank [during the rain suspensions.] It was a lot of patience but a lot, a lot, a lot of focus gave me time to really focus in on the next points but I'm really happy that I was able to come out of that a better player." 

Heading into deep waters in the third and deciding set, Eala found her groove at just the right time, going up 3-0. 

Sakkari put herself on the board, 1-3, before the 21-year-old held her serve to take a commanding 4-1 lead. 

The 31-year-old Greek tennister, though, would go down swinging, tying it up at 4-all. 

But a clutch ninth game by Eala, where she held her serve, put her ahead, 5-4. 

Serving to keep herself alive, Sakkari would run out of fuel as Eala proved to be steadier, 6-4. 

In the first set, Eala started hot, going up 2-0 before the Greek tennister inched closer and closer. 

Sakkari seized the lead, 5-4, before Eala won the next three games to take the first set, 7-5.

Come the second set, Sakkari took matters into her own hands, going up 3-0 as she fended off the Filipina who tried to inch closer.

After Eala broke her opponent's serve after lengthy rain suspensions, 3-5, the World No. 30 player broke the pride of the Philippines' serve to force the third set, 6-3. 

Sakkari punched in 12 aces against Eala's two, but the former committed 38 unforced errors to her opponent's 31. She also had six double faults against one for the 21-year-old. 

The Greek tennister also slammed in 42 winners against the Filipina tennis ace's 39. 

With the win, Eala set a date with World No. 102 Claire Liu in the final. 

Liu defeated Alexandra Shubladze in the other semifinal bracket earlier in the day, 7-5, 6-4.

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