RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Janice Tjen's advancement to the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was confirmed on Monday, February 16, 2026, following her impressive win over Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez.

In a high-stakes second-round encounter at the WTA 1000 level, the Indonesian ace delivered a consistent performance to win 7-6(5), 6-4, effectively neutralizing Fernandez's powerful service game. By securing this victory, Janice not only moves forward in the tournament draw but also reinforces her position as a formidable contender among the elite players currently competing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Quoting Antara, the first set was a tightly contested battle where Fernandez relied on her powerful serves as a primary weapon. However, Janice played with greater patience and caution, winning 68.4 percent of return points and recording only four double faults.

During the tie-break, Janice initially took a 3-1 lead before the 2021 US Open runner-up attempted a comeback. The 23-year-old Jakarta-born player maintained her composure and point gap, ultimately closing out the first set with an ace.

Determined to avoid a lengthy match, Janice shifted to a more aggressive playstyle in the second set. Armed with a powerful serve, she recorded an impressive 93.8 percent of first-serve points and converted her only break point opportunity.

Janice finally wrapped up the match in one hour and 43 minutes to secure her spot in the third round. This victory improves Janice's head-to-head record against Fernandez to 2-0, following her previous win over the Canadian at the 2026 Australian Open.

In the round of 16, Janice will face the winner of the match between Czech player Barbora Krejcikova and second seed Amanda Anisimova from the USA. Janice entered this round with high momentum after a dominant 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in her opening match.

In addition to the singles category, Janice will compete in the doubles sector alongside Czech partner Marie Bouzkova. They are scheduled to face Jiang Xinyu and Ulrikke Eikeri in the first round on Monday night.

The Dubai tournament marks Janice's third appearance in a WTA 1000 event since her debut earlier this month. She first competed at this level with a wild card at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she was stopped in the second round by fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova.

The following week, she participated in her second WTA 1000 event in Doha but was again eliminated in the second round. On that occasion, she faced a difficult challenge against the world number two, Iga Swiatek. ***