Alex Eala bowed out in the Round of 16 of the Hong Kong Open on the evening of October 30, after squandering a 4-1 lead in the third set against Victoria Mboko.
Another Heartbreaker in the Deciding Set
Despite a shaky start in the first game, where she trailed 15-40, the Filipina held serve and broke Mboko in the following game to surge ahead 3-0.
The 20-year-old maintained her rhythm throughout the opener, hitting deep, accurate groundstrokes that forced the Canadian to stay on the defensive. Although Mboko managed to level at 3-all, Eala quickly regained control by holding serve twice and breaking again in the eighth game.
Her composed play and confident hitting allowed her to secure the first set signaling a promising start in what looked like a major upset in the making.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-3
Momentum shifted dramatically in the second frame as Mboko began to find her rhythm.
The 19-year-old, who captured her first WTA 1000 title at home during the Canadian Open, unleashed a flurry of powerful serves and precise groundstrokes that turned the tide.
After both players held serve to reach 2-all, Mboko started to dictate the pace, breaking Eala to move ahead 4-2. The Canadian’s confidence grew with each rally, and she held her next service games to close the set and push the match into a decider.
Eala fought valiantly but struggled to maintain consistency in long rallies, while Mboko’s steady baseline play and mental composure began to shine through.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-3
The final set was a gripping display of endurance and willpower between two of the WTA Tour’s rising stars. Eala started aggressively once again, breaking early after an extended second game that went to eight deuces.
She consolidated the break and quickly built what appeared to be a commanding 4-1 lead.
However, the turning point came as Mboko, displaying remarkable calm under pressure, began her comeback. With Eala’s serve faltering, the Canadian broke back and found her rhythm, stringing together five consecutive games to seal a dramatic victory after two hours and twenty-seven minutes of intense tennis.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 3: 6-4
The decisive moment arrived when Eala, visibly drained, netted a forehand on match point, another a heartbreaking finish to an otherwise inspired performance.
Mboko advanced to the quarterfinals, where she is set to face world No. 35 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.
Real Recognizes Real
The world ranked No. 21 Mboko had nothing but praise for Alex during the post game interview.
“I wanna first congratulate Alex for an amazing match. It’s never easy to play one of your friends. And I’ve known her for such a long time, so that made it a little bit emotional,” said Mboko.
“I also wanna thank those who came to support today. I know that there’s so many Filipinos here to support Alex, and this is what this sport is all about. I love the support you came today and made the match more intense and super tough for me. I think I really had to fight for every single point. And I think it was an unbelievable match.” she added.
Despite the defeat, Eala received loud applause from Filipino fans who filled the Hong Kong stands, continuing their unwavering support throughout her Asian campaign.
5 out of the last 6 Singles Matches went to Set 3
One interesting fact about the tennis legend from the Philippines is that in her last 6 singles matches, 5 of those went to a deciding set.
In some instances, she blew the lead in Set 3 and ultimately lost the game.
Despite being at the best ranked of her career at No. 51, this recurring pattern of dropping decisive sets has been a source of frustration for the Filipina, who has struggled to close out tight contests against higher-ranked opponents.
Her Hong Kong loss also mirrored similar outcomes in recent Asian tournaments across Jingshan, Suzhou, Wuhan, Osaka and Guangzhou where she frequently won the opening set but ultimately fell in deciding frames.
Nevertheless, her growth this year has been undeniable.
