The Southeast Asian pair of Alex Eala and Janice Tjen, affectionately dubbed “SEAsters” by some, stunned the pair of Zhang Shuai and Cristina Bucsa, 6-3, 6-3, to move to the semifinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Coming off a heartbreaking defeat in singles competition earlier, the 20-year-old Eala made sure to avoid another heartbreak at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.
SEAsters Seize Control Early
The SEAsters seized control from the outset, racing to a 3-0 lead against the tournament’s second-seeded pair. Eala and Tjen dicated the first set with aggressive net play and steady serving as they overwhelmed their fancied foes.
Eala and Tjen again raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set, although Zhang and Bucsa narrowed the game somewhat, in a repeat of the opening frame. The Filipino-Indonesian pair, however, maintained their composure and closed out the second set without ever surrendering the advantage.
Needless to say, the first-time Southeast Asian pairing delivered a composed and commanding performance, achieving the huge stunner in just over an hour. The pairing is particularly sweet as together, Eala and Tjen reached their first WTA 500 doubles semifinals.
In the Round of 16, the SEAsters first beat the duo of Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic in three sets.
Up Next for the SEAsters
Eala of the Philippines and Tjen of Indonesia are set to face the fourth-seeded tandem of Olivia Nicholls of Great Britain and Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia for a place in the finals.
Their match is scheduled later tonight, February 6 at 8:00 p.m.
