Despite the rivalry, the newly-formed SEA dyad bonded their prowess to seal the narrow victory.
Alex Eala and Janice Tjen shrugged off a mid-game falter to nab a 7–5, 3–6, 10–6 win over Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic, claiming a quarterfinals berth in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open women's lawn tennis doubles.
The rival-turned-partners Eala and Tjen stifled a second-set loss as they moved away from a 6–all tie in the decider to establish their resurgence at International Tennis Centre on Wednesday (PH Time).
Their triumph marked a bright spot in SEA tennis, as they became the first doubles pair from that region to reach quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament.
Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian standouts exhibited key plays that capitalized on their foes’ slight openings to steer ahead from an 2–all tie in the onset.
The green-clad joint-force then pushed through a back-and-forth tussle with Eala striking lefty attacks, capped by Tjen’s saves to secure a 7–5 edge.
Yet misfortune came right in the second salvo with the Filipina and Tjen settling for a 3–6 trail as they failed to fend off the Canadian-French pair’s crafty attacks.
But that setback was a setup for the Southeast Asian aces’ comeback.
Attempting a turnaround, Eala and Tjen ramped up their offensives with the former slotting forehand winners to post a 6–3 advantage in the final stretch.
However, their spurt was trimmed as Fernandez and Mladenovic compounded each assault into points that spiraled the score into a 6–all deadlock.
Refusing to come crashing down, the SEA phenoms staged coordinated attacks for a four-point rally to ultimately pull away for victory.
The SEA phenoms will test their mettle against Cristina Bucsa and Shuai Zang in the quarterfinals.
Before that, Eala will lock horns with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the women’s singles QF.
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.
