Sirens of Southeast Asia

Two of the hottest Southeast Asian tennis players slug it out in the quarterfinal of the Sao Paulo Open at the Parque Villa-Lobos in Brazil.

Alex Eala and Janice Tjen of Indonesia will face each other for the first time as they clash in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 250 tournament.

The 23-year-old Tjen, ranked at No. 130, made history as the first Indonesian in 22 years to make it to a WTA quarterfinal after a 6-0, 6-1 win over Martina Okalova of Slovakia in 52 minutes.

Meanwhile, Eala took down Julia Riera of Argentina, 6-1, 6-4, in their Last 16 clash as she extended her winning streak to seven straight games since her title run at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico.

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate only needed one hour and 17 minutes in taking out her Argentine foe, who denied her a main draw spot in the French Open last year.

Eala established herself in the first set with a 4-0 lead and finished it in 33 minutes.

The No. 188 Argentine took a 2-1 lead in the second set, but Eala won the next three games, completing her sweep as the Brazilian crowd cheered her on.

Eala said she kept her cool, especially in the second set when Riera was trying to force a deciding third set.

“Things were very calm in the first set, even with some balanced games. The second set was tougher in terms of the score, but I’m happy with how I managed to handle the situation,” Eala said.

“When it mattered the most, I think I played better.”

Eala’s hot form has put her in a great position to go as high as No. 55 in the rankings in the latest WTA live rankings.

The clash between the two Southeast Asian heavyweights is expected to be a must-watch for sports fans after their recent conquest in the US Open in New York City.

Eala won her first Grand Slam main draw match after pulling off a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 upset over world No. 12 Clara Tauson of Denmark.

Tjen also made heads turn at the Big Apple when she took down world No. 26 Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in the first round.

On paper, Eala has the edge over Tjen in their upcoming matchup.

But beating the Indonesian, who honed her skills at the University of Oregon and Pepperdine University in California, will be easier said than done, as she boasts 13 singles titles and six doubles titles in the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

While Eala only has five singles titles and three doubles titles in the ITF, her Guadalajara 125 Open trophy, a WTA event, gives her an advantage over Tjen.

A possible face-off in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, scheduled from 9 to 20 December, could even occur if everything falls into place.

Eala said she likes her chances as she adapts in every match she plays in.

Should Eala go all the way, she will clinch her second WTA title and a cash prize of $36,300 or around P 2 million, as well as 280 ranking points.

“My confidence is very high. These victories help a lot, but even more important is the ability I had in the last few days to solve problems as they appeared,” Eala said.

Eala will face either Francesca Jones of Great Britain or Argentine netter Solana Sierra in the semifinal if she wins over Tjen.