Eala And Tjen Storm Into Abu Dhabi Open Quarterfinals

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open continued to deliver high-octane tennis action on February 3rd and 4th, 2026, as the women’s singles and doubles draws reached pivotal moments at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in the United Arab Emirates. Rising stars clashed with seasoned veterans, upsets brewed on the courts, and new partnerships blossomed in the doubles field. With quarterfinal spots on the line, every rally was fiercely contested, and the tournament’s unpredictability kept fans on the edge of their seats.

In an electrifying doubles encounter, Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala teamed up with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen to stun the formidable duo of Canadian Leylah Fernandez and French stalwart Kristina Mladenovic. Eala and Tjen edged out their opponents 7-5, 0-6, 10-6 in a match that swung wildly in momentum. The first set saw Eala and Tjen snatch a narrow lead, but Fernandez and Mladenovic stormed back to claim the second set without dropping a game. The super tiebreaker was a nail-biter, with Eala and Tjen eventually sealing their place in the quarterfinals. Their next challenge will be against the winner of the clash between second seeds Cristina Bucsa of Spain and Shuai Zhang of China, and the Ukrainian twin pairing of Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

The doubles draw saw further drama as Sofia Kenin and Desirae Krawczyk ousted top seeds Asia Muhammad (USA) and Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) in a 6-1, 2-6, 12-10 thriller. Their reward? A quarterfinal showdown with Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia), who themselves dispatched Yifan Xu (China) and Liudmila Samsonova (Russia) 6-2, 7-5. Meanwhile, third seeds Ellen Perez (Australia) and Demi Schuurs (Netherlands) overcame Shuko Aoyama (Japan) and Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, 7-6(4), 6-4, setting up a meeting with the in-form pair of Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) and Maya Joint (Australia). Alexandrova and Joint had earlier dominated Teodora Kostovic (Serbia) and Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1.

Not to be outdone, fourth seeds Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia) and Olivia Nicholls (Great Britain) moved forward by defeating Darija Jurak Schreiber (Croatia) and Katarzyna Piter (Poland) 7-5, 6-3. Their next opponents, Andreja Klepac (Slovenia) and Irina Khromacheva (Russia), advanced after a 7-5, 6-3 win over Chan Hao-ching (Chinese Taipei) and Clara Tauson (Denmark).

On the singles side, Alexandra Eala continued her impressive run. The world No. 45 dispatched Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 to set up a round-of-16 showdown with Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Sasnovich, entering the main draw as a lucky loser, had already made headlines by upsetting Paula Badosa in the previous round. With both players hungry for ranking points—Eala eyeing a breakthrough into the Top 40 and Sasnovich seeking a return to the Top 100—their upcoming clash promises fireworks. As one pundit observed, “Eala is a rising star, and Sasnovich will relish the challenge, making this a potential momentum swing battle.”

The singles draw was not without its share of surprises. No. 5 seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia ended Janice Tjen’s singles campaign with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Samsonova now faces American Hailey Baptiste, who pulled off a stunner by eliminating No. 4 seed Emma Navarro 7-6(6), 0-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, McCartney Kessler (USA) toppled No. 6 seed Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 6-2, booking a quarterfinal date with No. 3 seed Clara Tauson, who breezed past Simona Waltert (Switzerland) 6-3, 6-1.

The tournament also features heavyweight matchups in the round of 16. Defending champion and world No. 9 Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) is set to face Sonay Kartal (Great Britain). Bencic, eager to rebound from a disappointing Australian Open exit, brings both experience and motivation as she seeks to defend her Abu Dhabi crown. Kartal, fresh off a straight-sets win over Cristina Bucsa, will look to disrupt the Swiss star’s rhythm and keep her own momentum alive.

Another high-profile encounter pits second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. The two know each other well, with a head-to-head record deadlocked at 3-3, though Alexandrova holds a 1-0 advantage on hard courts. Their last meeting was a three-set epic in Linz in 2025, which Alexandrova narrowly won 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Despite a rocky start to 2026—Alexandrova is just 1-3 on the year—she remains a formidable force, ranked No. 11 in the world. Yastremska, ranked No. 43, enters the match with a 3-3 record this season, all on hard courts, and is coming off a strong 6-2, 7-5 victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and both athletes will be desperate to break their early-season slumps.

Elsewhere, Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) will look to string together back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2025 French Open when she faces Czech teenager Sara Bejlek. Ostapenko’s gritty three-set victory over Oksana Selekhmeteva showcased her fighting spirit, but Bejlek’s steady play and recent upset of last year’s runner-up, Ashlyn Krueger, signal a tough test ahead. Many observers are tipping Bejlek as a potential dark horse in the draw.

The Abu Dhabi Open’s second round will determine the final quartet of quarterfinalists. With each match, the intensity ramps up, and the possibility of more upsets looms large. Predictions from experts have tipped Sasnovich to edge out Eala, Bejlek to surprise Ostapenko, Yastremska to outlast Alexandrova, and Bencic to overcome Kartal—but as any seasoned tennis fan knows, the only certainty is unpredictability.

With the action ongoing and several matches yet to be decided, the Abu Dhabi Open is shaping up to be a tournament full of twists, turns, and breakthrough performances. Fans can expect more drama as the field narrows and the battle for the title intensifies under the desert lights.