Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez lost in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Janice Tjen had the upper hand 6-2 and 7-6 (1), thanks in particular to four breaks.
Ranked 59th in the world, she prevailed in one hour and 45 minutes ahead of the Quebecer, 23rd in the WTA.
Tjen ruled the roost in breaking the deadlock, first with a nice uncrossed forehand.
She took a 2-0 lead when Fernandez sent a serve return into the net.
Then it was a smooth backhand passing that brought the score to 3-0.
Tjen then committed a direct error, but she regained control with a double fault from her rival and an ace from her.
Fernandez hit a ball too far and then committed another unforced error, giving the opponent the victory.
In the first set, Tjen took the lead 5-2 via his second break of the match. Fernandez led 40-30 in the next game, but a ball too far and two sent into the net gave Tjen the set.
In the first game of the second set, Fernandez shrugged off a double fault and held serve, but the Indonesian won the next three games.
The Laval player had some great moments in the fifth game: she only allowed one point, taking the game away on a too-deep shot from Tjen.
Fernandez was also solid in the next game – notably a ball sequence on the baseline – drop shot – winning shot. A crosscourt forehand earned him the tie at 3-3, thanks to a break.
Fernandez continued her momentum one more game, but Tjen held serve for 4-4, then took a 5-4 lead with a break.
It was then Fernandez who broke, bringing everyone back to square one.
In the 11th game, Fernandez distinguished herself via a crosscourt backhand and an uncrossed forehand, en route to a 6-5 lead.
A smash from Tjen and an unforced error from Fernandez, however, made the score 6-6, forcing the deadlock to be broken.
This therefore means that Fernandez is shown the exit after the abandonments of his compatriots Félix Auger-Aliassime and Marina Stakusic.
Victoria Mboko and Denis Shapovalov are the only representatives of the Unifolié to have reached the second round of this first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
