Who is Janice Tjen? Alex Eala’s quarterfinals foe at the SP Open

Alex Eala of the Philippines is set to face Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the quarterfinals of the SP Open in São Paulo, Brazil, in what promises to be a thrilling Southeast Asian showdown.

Eala, ranked No. 61 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) standings, will be up against Tjen, who currently sits at No. 130. Both players recently made headlines at the US Open after achieving historic milestones for their respective countries.

Eala became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match at the US Open when she defeated 14th seed Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7(13)-6(11). Meanwhile, Tjen stunned 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory, becoming the first Indonesian in 22 years to claim a Grand Slam main draw win. Both were eventually eliminated in the second round.

The SP Open quarterfinal will mark the first-ever career meeting between Eala and Tjen. For Eala, this is her third quarterfinal appearance at a WTA 250-level or higher tournament this year, following strong performances at the Miami Open in March and the Eastbourne Open in June. She also recently captured her first WTA 125 title in Guadalajara.

For Tjen, this marks a historic breakthrough, as she becomes the first Indonesian woman since Angelique Widjaja in 2004 to reach a WTA Tour quarterfinal.