Liu ended Eala’s impressive campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 victory at the Victoria Park Centre Court in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. The American, who hails from Thousand Oaks, California, produced a dominant performance, winning nine consecutive games to secure the title.
Eala struggled to find consistency on her serve throughout the encounter, managing just 47 per cent of her first serves and winning only 40 per cent of points on her second serve.
Despite the disappointing result, the defeat does little to diminish what has been a remarkable breakthrough season for the 20-year-old Filipina, who continues to establish herself among the leading players on the WTA Tour.
Her run to the Hong Kong final has earned her 103 ranking points, paving the way for a two-place improvement in the latest WTA rankings. She is expected to move ahead of Sorana Cirstea, who has retired from professional tennis, and former world number one Naomi Osaka.
Following Monday’s rankings update, Eala is projected to reach a career-high position of world number 15, marking another significant achievement in her rapidly developing career.
The milestone comes after an impressive season that included her first WTA Tour title in Washington in August, further strengthening her reputation as one of the most promising young players in women's tennis.
Her rise into the top 16 could also prove particularly valuable ahead of the 2027 Australian Open. Players seeded within the top 16 at Grand Slam tournaments are protected from meeting another top-16 seed until at least the fourth round, offering them a potentially more favourable route through the early stages of the competition.
With the Australian Open seedings expected to be determined approximately six weeks before the tournament, Eala’s current ranking puts her in a strong position to secure a top-16 seeding.
Meanwhile, her latest appearance in Hong Kong represents another step forward from her performance at the tournament last year.
At the 2025 Hong Kong Open, Eala reached the second round after British player Katie Boulter retired from their first-round encounter while trailing 6-4, 2-1.
However, her campaign ended in the second round against Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, who recovered from a set down to defeat her 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Mboko, who went on to win the tournament, had trailed 1-4 in the deciding set before producing an impressive comeback by winning five consecutive games to seal the victory.
Reflecting on her relationship with Eala after the match, Mboko offered a warm account of their friendship away from the court.
“She’s such a sweet girl and we have so many great memories together off the court,” Mboko said. “We’ll go and get bubble tea together, we do the most wholesome things together.”
Although Eala fell short of lifting the Hong Kong title this time, her expected entry into the world's top 15 underscores her growing influence in women's tennis and signals an encouraging outlook as she prepares for the 2027 season.