The Philippines’ rising star is one step closer to ending her season with a trophy. After a tense battle on Friday evening, she has a shot at reaching the final of her last event of the year.
Alex Eala beat Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic 7 to 6, 7 to 5 on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, to reach the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open at Victoria Park.
How did Eala win the first set?
Eala, the second seed, won her first three service games without losing a point to take a lead of 3 to 2. She then won four straight points after falling behind 0 to 30 in the sixth game to even the set.
Ruzic earned seven break points in the seventh game and converted the last one to go ahead 4 to 3. The players then traded breaks over the next six games, sending the set to a tiebreaker.
Eala jumped to a lead of 5 to 0 in the tiebreaker before Ruzic won four straight points. This time, Eala held firm and closed it out 9 to 7. A day earlier, she had let a similar lead slip against Tereza Valentova before recovering. Her composure in the closing points made the difference.
How did Eala close out the Hong Kong Open quarterfinal?
The second set began with a game that went to six deuces before Ruzic held. The players again traded breaks before Eala held to lead 4 to 2.
Ruzic fought back after a brief rain delay, winning three straight games to lead 5 to 4 and move within a game of forcing a third set. The momentum appeared to be swinging toward the Croatian.
Eala answered with three straight games of her own, holding serve, breaking Ruzic and holding again to win the match.
She finished with 40 winners to Ruzic’s 33, a key difference in a close contest. Her aggressive shotmaking from the baseline kept Ruzic under pressure throughout.
Who does Eala face next at the Hong Kong Open?
Eala will face fourth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in the semifinals. Sakkari beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6 to 2, 6 to 3 in her quarterfinal. The match will be a major test against an experienced opponent.
Sakkari, a former top 10 player, has reached two Grand Slam semifinals in her career.
A win would put Eala in a final and give her a chance to end the season with a title at the Hong Kong Open.
Why is the Hong Kong Open important for Eala?
The Hong Kong Open is the final tournament of Eala’s season.
She arrived after reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo, where she lost to Diana Shnaider in three sets and took a medical timeout for her ankle.
Her strong play this week suggests the ankle is not holding her back. She has looked sharp and confident in each of her matches.
Hong Kong is home to a large Filipino community, and Eala has drawn enthusiastic support from fans at the Hong Kong Open.
What has Eala’s season looked like?
Eala, 21, has risen to No. 17 in the world this year and become a national sports star in the Philippines. She has become one of the most followed players in Asia.
She has shown a habit of making matches dramatic but also an ability to find her best tennis late in sets. Both of her last two matches featured tiebreakers that she won after letting big leads slip.
With one more win at the Hong Kong Open, Alex Eala would reach a final and cap a memorable season. Fans in Manila and Hong Kong will be watching closely.
