Claire Liu broke serve five times to beat Russian qualifier Alexandra Shubladze 7-5, 6-4 in the Hong Kong Open semi-finals. The American, ranked 102nd, is into her first WTA final since Rabat in 2022, where she lost to Martina Trevisan. Fourth seed Maria Sakkari or second seed Alexandra Eala now stands between the 26-year-old and a first WTA title.
American Claire Liu broke serve five times to beat Russian qualifier Alexandra Shubladze 7-5, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open, a WTA 250 event, on Saturday. Liu, ranked 102nd, needed 1 hour 58 minutes to end the week of the World No. 136.
She will face fourth seed Maria Sakkari or second seed Alexandra Eala in the final.
The American reached her first WTA final since Rabat in 2022, where she lost to Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-1. The 26-year-old reached her career-high ranking of No. 53 in April 2023.
Neither player could hold a lead for long in the opening set. Liu held to love in the opening game and broke for 2-0, but Shubladze broke back immediately and again to lead 3-2 before Liu levelled at 3-3. Shubladze held to love for 5-5, then dropped serve at 5-6 as Liu converted her second set point.
Both players saved two break points in their opening service games of the second set. Second serves told the story of the match. Shubladze saved six of the 11 break points she faced, but won 21% of her second-serve points, against 50% for Liu.
She then beat Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. Against Sakkari or Eala, she will play for her first WTA singles title at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.
Shubladze, 21, came through qualifying with wins over China’s Ying Zhang, 6-4, 6-3, and Australia’s Emerson Jones, 6-4, 6-2. In the main draw she beat Russian compatriots Liudmila Samsonova 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 and Elena Pridankina 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3. She then defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
First round: d. Tatiana Prozorova (Q) 6-2, 6-4
Second round: d. Katie Boulter (8) 7-5, 6-4
Quarter-final: d. Zeynep Sonmez 6-1, 6-4
Semi-final: d. Alexandra Shubladze (Q) 7-5, 6-4
First round: d. Liudmila Samsonova (7) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
Second round: d. Elena Pridankina (LL) 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3
Quarter-final: d. Sorana Cirstea (1) 6-2, 6-3
Semi-final: lost to Claire Liu 7-5, 6-4
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