Alex Eala and Janice Tjen remained flawless, upending Cristina Bucsa and Zhang Shuai, 6–3, 6–3, for a semifinals ticket in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open women's lawn tennis doubles, February 6.
Eala and Tjen, who won the onset, maintained their surge in the second with the former’s side-court smash, sparking a 3–0 lead to establish their advantage at the International Tennis Centre.
Their victory also marked the SEA dyad’s spotless score in the women’s doubles tourney at 2–0.
After their quarterfinal win, Eala said she and Tjen focused on staying aggressive, trusting each other, and enjoying the match.
“We were trying to be aggressive and have fun. When you have a good relationship with your partner, you’re not afraid to go with your gut. If you make errors, it’s okay because you have that chemistry and you’re willing to try what feels right,” she said in an interview with Arab News PK.
The Southeast Asian duo found their advantage from the get go after a Tjen backhand that pierced through their foes’ blocks to jumpstart a 2–0 edge.
However, their lead was trimmed at 4–3 through Bucsa’s consecutive forehand smashes and Zhang’s key attacks that exploited the opposers’ openings.
Refusing to falter, the SEA joint-force pulled away as Tjen fired forehand saves, making way for Eala’s decisive lefty smash to seal the first set with a 6–3 cushion.
But their onslaught did not end there.
Holding on to their three-point upswing, the green-clads then gained a slight 4–2 second-set buffer after the Filipina’s forehand offensive that Zhang failed to clamp down.
But the Spanish-Chinese dynamic tandem attempted to cut their trail as they created coordinated plays for a one-point, 5–3 effort.
That small spurt could not thwart the Southeast Asians as Tjen evaded an out-of-bounds shot from a sluggish Bucsa to ultimately secure their triumph.
The SEA hotshots aim for an improved performance in the upcoming semifinals clash.
Written by Vince Garcia, Insight PH
Vince Garcia, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
