Janice Tjen Shifts to Doubles After Abu Dhabi Singles Exit

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian tennis star Janice Tjen bowed out of the singles competition at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2026 after a straight-sets defeat to fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, February 3.

Competing at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 23-year-old was defeated by world number 18 and fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova with a score of 2-6, 2-6, Antara reported. 

Despite showing resilience with fewer double faults and an ace, Janice was unable to neutralize Samsonova's aggressive baseline power during the one-hour and 12-minute match. 

According to WTA records, Janice attempted to disrupt Samsonova's rhythm by recording one ace and committing fewer double faults than her opponent. However, these efforts were not enough to stop the aggressive play of the Russian athlete, who converted two out of two break point opportunities to secure the opening set.

A similar pattern emerged in the second set as Samsonova capitalized on her power, converting two out of three break point chances twice the number of opportunities managed by Janice. 

Despite the loss in the singles category, Janice remains in the WTA 500 tournament as she shifts her focus to the doubles competition alongside Filipino partner Alexandra Eala.

The duo, who notably secured bronze and gold medals at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, are scheduled to begin their doubles campaign on Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. local time. They are set to face the Canadian-French pair Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic in the opening round.

Interestingly, this match provides a quick rematch between Janice and Fernandez, who last faced each other in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open. In that encounter, Janice emerged victorious in straight sets before her Grand Slam journey was eventually halted in the second round by former world number one Karolina Pliskova. ***