Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala made a winning start in her doubles campaign at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open after teaming up with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen for the first time on Tuesday, February 3.

Eala and Tjen outlasted a seasoned duo of Leylah Fernandez of Canada and French veteran Kristina Mladenovic in a tightly contested three-set match, 7-5, 3-6, 10-6, in the round of 16.

The newly formed pair showed composure in the match tiebreak, capitalizing on key points to seal the victory and book a spot in the next round of the WTA tournament.

The doubles win adds to a strong week for Eala, who recently climbed to a new career-high ranking of World No. 45 in the WTA standings. The 20-year-old Filipina continues to build momentum on the international stage, competing in both singles and doubles action in Abu Dhabi.

In singles play, Eala is set to face Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, currently ranked World No. 109, in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

With her solid start in doubles and an upcoming singles clash, Eala remains one of the players to watch as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open unfolds.