Alex Eala falls to Claire Liu in Guangzhou Open

Dubai: Filipina tennis superstar Alexandra Eala suffered a tough first-round exit at the Guangzhou Open after falling to American qualifier Claire Liu, who pulled off a gritty comeback win to clinch her first tour-level victory in 19 months.

Liu rallied past the fourth-seeded Eala, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, in a two-hour, 28-minute thriller at the Nansha International Tennis Center in China.

Eala looked in control early, dominating the opening set and breaking serve to lead 4-2 in the second. But Liu dug deep, turning the match around with her trademark consistency and court coverage. The 24-year-old American stormed back to level the contest, then clawed her way through a tense decider, breaking Eala’s serve late in the third to complete the upset.

The result handed Liu, now ranked No. 305 in the world, her first main-draw win since the 2024 Miami Open, marking a significant step in her comeback bid after an injury-shortened season.

For Eala, currently ranked No. 53, the loss comes on the heels of another early exit at the Japan Women’s Open last week, where she bowed to eventual finalist Tereza Valentova in the opening round.

Despite the singles setback, the 20-year-old Filipina remains in contention in doubles. She will team up with Nadiia Kichenok on Wednesday to face China’s Tang Qianhui and Britain's Emily Appleton in the Round of 16.