Alex Eala, Janice Tjen upset Fernandez-Mladenovic to make Abu Dhabi doubles quarters

What began as an experimental partnership quickly turned into a statement win for Alex Eala and Janice Tjen at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

The Southeast Asian duo surged into the doubles quarterfinals early Wednesday morning (Manila time), outlasting Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic in a gripping 7-5, 3-6, 10-6 battle that tested both composure and chemistry. 

For Eala and Tjen—teaming up for the first time on tour—the victory was less about rankings and more about resilience.

They needed plenty of it after stumbling out of the gate, dropping the first two games of the opening set. Instead of folding, the Filipina-Indonesian pair steadied themselves, matching Fernandez and Mladenovic point for point before seizing control late to take the set at 7-5.

Momentum shifted in the second as the more experienced tandem pressed their advantage after a tight opening stretch, pushing the match into a deciding match tiebreak. 

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

DOUBLES BREAKTHROUGH IN ABU DHABI

Southeast Asian netters Alex Eala and Janice Tjen blaze past Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez and France’s Kristina Mladenovic to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open doubles, 7-5, 3-6, 10-6#AlexEala #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen pic.twitter.com/X4FkMlQzvv

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 3, 2026

There, Eala and Tjen flipped the script—striking early, maintaining their edge, and closing out the contest with authority after one hour and 33 minutes on court.

Now the highest-ranked players from their respective regions at Nos. 45 and 47, Eala and Tjen await their quarterfinal opponent, which will come from either the Ukrainian sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok or the Spanish-Chinese pairing of Cristina Bucsa and Shuai Zhang.

Their paths diverge in singles action. Tjen saw her run end in the round of 16 at the hands of fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova, while Eala continues her campaign with a second-round clash against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Thursday night.

Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

  Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!