AT THE height of their professional careers, two of Southeast Asia’s top tennis players finally faced off again—and the result was stunning: Janice Tjen took down third-seeded Alex Eala.
The Indonesian standout proved too much for her red-hot Filipina rival, ending Eala’s winning streak in the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 São Paulo Open with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Before the showdown, World No. 61 Eala had a serious momentum, winning seven matches in a row—starting from her championship run at the WTA 150 Guadalajara Open just a week earlier—to reach the last eight.
Though this marked their first professional meeting—after clashing three times as juniors from 2018 to 2019, with Eala winning twice—Tjen drew first blood in the pros against her regional peer.
SEA Stars Collide
Riding the momentum of her winning streak, the 20-year-old Filipina tennis star quickly surged to a strong 3-0 lead over Tjen, giving herself some early breathing space in the opening set.
Just when Eala seemed to be in command, her Indonesian rival swiftly turned the tide, rallying to even the score at 3-all. This comeback was fueled by unstoppable cross-court shots, forcing Eala to concede easy points.
From then on, the two Southeast Asian stars were exchanging points. Eala was first to break the tie, but Tjen continued her fightback as she takes two straight games to finally be on top 5-4.
However, leaving the door wide open against a determined and fired-up Tjen turned out to be costly, as she capitalized on her powerful serve and Eala’s untimely unforced errors to steal the first set, 6-4.
Eala started the second set by winning the opening game. However, Tjen’s powerful forehand proved challenging for the Filipina, allowing her to regain the lead. Despite five service faults, the Indonesian still managed to close the score at 3-1.
Unfortunately for Eala, Tjen’s strength and intensity were unmatched as she kept pummeling her, finishing the match 6-2 to reach her first-ever main tour semi-finals and notch her 62nd victory of the year.
Well Represented Region
With both players carrying the flag for Southeast Asia, they each wanted to reach the next round. But in sports, only one can move forward while the other falls. Nevertheless, the region is undeniably well represented.
Unshaken by Eala’s accomplishments, Tjen is simply grateful to see her hard work bearing fruit. “We’ve been working on it, so it’s really nice to see it finally pay off,” she shared after earning one of the biggest wins of her career.
Though it was a disappointing loss for Eala, her run in São Paulo was still impressive. What’s more, she entered this tournament fresh off winning her maiden title at the Guadalajara Open, and still made it this far.
Eala will now get a well-deserved break after playing in three consecutive tournaments—the US Open, Guadalajara Open, and São Paulo Open. Meanwhile, Tjen is set to take on the winner of the match between Francesca Jones and Solana Sierra.
