Alex Eala falls to Janice Tjen in SP Open quarterfinals

Alex Eala fell to Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the SP Open early Saturday morning (Philippine time) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The loss ended Eala’s seven-match winning streak, which dated back to her title run at the Guadalajara 125 Open just last week.

The Filipino tennis ace actually had a strong start, racing to a 3-0 lead before Tjen claimed the next three games to level the first set. Eala managed to break the tie by winning the next game, but Tjen, ranked world No. 130, eventually closed out the set.

Eala opened the second set by winning the first game, but it was Tjen who finished stronger, claiming a spot in the semifinals.

The Indonesian credited her composure in handling the pressure against the higher-ranked Eala, currently world No. 61.

“We all know that she (Eala) can come back at any time, so I was just trying to focus and stay in it until the end,” Tjen said in a post-match interview.

This will be Tjen's first appearance in a WTA semifinal.

Earlier in the tournament, Eala defeated Yasmine Mansouri of France and Julia Riera of Argentina.

Barring any changes, Eala is expected to compete next at the Jingshan Open in China, scheduled from September 22 to 28.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News