Janice Tjen, the top-ranked women’s player in Indonesia, has had a successful career with one WTA singles title and three doubles championships under her belt. At just 23 years old, she climbed to No. 53 in the WTA singles rankings in November, and her coaches believed she had even more potential.
Tjen showcased her progress by upsetting Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne. Despite Fernandez being the 22nd seed in the tournament, Tjen defeated her with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (1) in one hour and 43 minutes.
During the match, Tjen recorded four aces, 17 winners, six double faults, and 27 unforced errors, while Fernandez managed two aces, 16 winners, five double faults, and 28 unforced errors. Tjen capitalized on break points and return games more effectively, winning four of seven break points and four of 10 return games.
Moving forward, Tjen will face off against Karolina Pliskova from Czechia in the next round. In other matches, Toronto’s Victoria Mboko and her partner, American Iva Jovic, secured a victory in the opening round women’s doubles, defeating their opponents in straight sets. They will now proceed to play against the winner of another match.
In men’s action, Jannik Sinner had a quick win as his opponent retired due to an injury, allowing Sinner to advance effortlessly. Additionally, Naomi Osaka made a stylish entrance onto the court, donning unique attire inspired by a jellyfish, and went on to secure a victory in her match.
The Australian Open also saw surprises with some seeded players being eliminated early in the tournament. Notable matches included Ben Shelton’s victory over Ugo Humbert and the retirement of Raphael Collignon during his match against Lorenzo Musetti.
The tournament continues with more exciting matches and unexpected outcomes as players strive to make their mark at the prestigious event.