RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen endured a marathon contest at the BNP Paribas Open 2026 in Indian Wells, California, but ultimately bowed out in the opening round after nearly three hours of play.

The 23-year-old from Jakarta seized the first set before being dragged into a deciding tie-break by Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian. Despite a spirited fight, Janice was unable to close out the match, falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(8) in two hours and 46 minutes.

Janice started strong, winning 73.3 percent of points on her first serve and 63.6 percent on her second, while also excelling in return games to take the opener.

Cristian, ranked No. 35 in the world -- four places above Janice -- responded with powerful serving in the second set, firing two aces and converting both break-point opportunities to level the match.

The decider saw Janice surge ahead with three consecutive games, but Cristian clawed back to 3-3. The two traded points relentlessly until the score reached 6-6, forcing a tie-break. Both players refused to yield, battling to 6/6 before Cristian’s three aces and late composure secured her passage to the next round.

Cristian now advances to face Australia’s No.1 player and 29th seed Maya Joint, who received a first-round bye. For Janice, the defeat marks her first exit at the opening round of a WTA 1000 event.

Her campaign in Indian Wells follows a string of promising performances earlier this season. At the Qatar Total Energies Open in Doha, she reached the second round before falling to top seed Iga Swiatek, having earlier defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia.

In Dubai, she advanced to the round of 16 with straight-set victories over Dayana Yastremska and Leylah Fernandez, before being stopped by second seed Amanda Anisimova. ***