Dubai. Indonesian tennis standout Janice Tjen booked her place in the last 16 of the Dubai Tennis Championships after defeating Canadian star Leylah Fernandez 7-6(5), 6-4 in the round of 32 at Dubai Tennis Stadium on Monday.

Janice sealed the win in straight sets after a tightly contested opening set that went to a tie-break. Under pressure from long rallies and shifting momentum, the Indonesian player kept her composure to edge the breaker 7-5 and take a one-set lead.

The second set unfolded at a similarly high tempo. Fernandez maintained her aggressive baseline play, but Janice raised her level, particularly on serve and return. A crucial break in the latter stages proved decisive, allowing Janice to close out the set 6-4 and secure the match.

Match statistics underlined efficiency as the key difference. Despite a lower first-serve percentage—57 percent compared with Fernandez’s 64 percent—Janice was more effective in converting points. She won 76 percent of points on her first serve and 63 percent on her second, outperforming Fernandez, who posted 70 percent and 48 percent respectively.

Fernandez recorded six aces to Janice’s five, while both players were relatively even on double faults, with Fernandez committing six and Janice five. The most notable contrast came in break-point conversion. Janice capitalized on four of nine opportunities, while Fernandez converted three of six.

The victory marks a significant milestone for Janice at an elite-level tournament. Beating a Canadian player with a strong reputation on the WTA Tour highlights the Indonesian’s growing consistency and mental strength on the big stage.

With the result, Janice advances to the round of 16 at the Dubai Open 2026, keeping alive her chance to produce another surprise run at one of the Middle East’s most prestigious tennis events.