Janice Tjen advances to China Open second round, faces world No. 14 Shnaider

Janice Tjen secured her place in the second round of China Open 2026 on September 30 after defeating Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 2–6, 7–5, 6–4 in the opening round. Playing at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, Tjen recovered from losing the first set to mount a comeback over two sets, demonstrating resilience under pressure.

The Indonesian player generated 13 aces and won 71 percent of her first-serve points, though she also recorded four double faults. Kalinina countered with 62 percent effectiveness on second serves and converted four of her 16 break-point opportunities, while Tjen converted four of 13. The match remained statistically tight, with both players winning 15 games overall; Tjen's longest winning streak extended to nine consecutive points, compared to Kalinina's seven.

In the second round, Tjen will face Diana Shnaider, a Russian left-hander seeded 11th at the tournament and ranked 14th in the world. Shnaider received a bye directly to round two as a seeded player. The matchup will mark their first career meeting. Shnaider, born April 2, 2004, in Zhigulevsk, Russia, reached a career-high ranking of 11th and holds five WTA singles titles. In 2026, she achieved a breakthrough by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open, where she notably defeated then-world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 before losing to Maja Chwalinska in the semifinal 6–7, 4–6. At the US Open 2026, Shnaider reached the third round before losing to Taylor Townsend 6–2, 6–7, 6–3.

Tjen, a 24-year-old from Jakarta born May 6, 2002, is coached by Chris Bint and holds a career-high ranking of 35th. She claimed her first WTA singles title at the Chennai Open 2025, becoming the first Indonesian woman to win a WTA singles title in 23 years. Before China Open, she competed in Guadalajara, where she defeated Darja Vidmanova 7–6, 6–2 in round one but lost to Sloane Stephens 6–7, 6–7 in the second round. The second-round match between Tjen and Shnaider is scheduled for October 2–3.