Striking difference in level

The 23-year-old Indonesian is the unexpected sensation of this tournament, climbing to 46th in the world after a meteoric rise. She has already created two major upsets in Dubai by knocking out Dayana Yastremska (6-4, 6-1) and then Leylah Fernandez (7-6, 6-5 ret) to reach her first round of 16 in a WTA 1000. Although she recently stumbled against Iga Świątek in Doha, her ability to mix things up with her sliced backhand and her relentless defense make her a real “stone in the shoe” for power players.

Currently world No. 6, Amanda Anisimova is having a decent start to the 2026 season with a quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She arrives in the round of 16 in Dubai with maximum physical freshness, as she hasn’t played a single point yet, benefiting from a first-round bye and then Barbora Krejčíková’s withdrawal in the second round. Despite a minor injury withdrawal in Doha last week, she seems fully recovered and ready to impose her devastating firepower.

The contrast in style is complete between Tjen’s variety and Anisimova’s firepower. The Indonesian will try to break the rhythm with her slices and changes of trajectory to force the American into errors. However, on Dubai’s fast courts, Anisimova’s raw power is likely to overwhelm Tjen’s defense quickly, especially if Amanda manages to pummel her opponent’s backhand, which really lacks punch in terms of topspin. The American is used to outclassing this type of player when she’s confident, which she is after her recent title.