Alex Eala stunned in Hong Kong final as Filipino star's breakthrough 2026 ends with injury setback | The National

World No 17 loses to Claire Liu in straight sets after suffering knee injury in Sunday's final
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World No 17 loses to Claire Liu in straight sets after suffering knee injury in Sunday's final
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Alex Eala was defeated by Claire Liu in the Hong Kong Open final, preventing her from securing a second WTA Tour title. Liu, ranked 102, didn’t drop a set throughout the tournament.
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Real Madrid pulled level with La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 3-0 win at Valencia on Saturday, as Spanish football paid tribute to Jesus de Miguel. Tenerife striker De Miguel died Tuesday after a collision with Andorra's goalkeeper in a Spanish second division match on Monday, and matches across the country were stopped in the ninth minute to pay homage to the number nine. In Tenerife, fans and players gathered at the stadium for a memorial and farewell to De Miguel.
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Elena Rybakina's withdrawal from the WTA Finals on the eve of the season-ending championships is disappointing, but the world number one needs time to recover from the physical toll of a demanding year, tournament director Garbine Muguruza said. Defending champion Rybakina pulled out of the tournament on Saturday, saying she was not physically ready to compete, leaving Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk to take her place in the eight-player field at Indian Wells.