ALEXANDRA EALA - JANICE TJEN : TENNIS* TRIUMPHS

Janice Tjen of Indonesia at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok in December.Credit...
Achmad Ibrahim/Associated Press

PHILIPPINES & INDONESIA HONOURS : Southeast Asia shows its potential. Both Alexandra and Janice are a part of a wave of talented players.

Both were in Bangkok for the 33rd biennial Southeast Asian Games, a multisport competition involving close to 10,000 athletes from 10 nations across 50 sports, including Eala’s native Philippines and Tjen’s homeland Indonesia.

'' These games are quite a big deal for our region,'' said Eala by phone from Macau last month, where she was playing an exhibition.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines during the women’s final at the Southeast Asian Games
in Bangkok in December. She beat Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-1, 6-2 for the title.

'' It’s been on my radar and a goal of mine since I was very young.''

'' I just felt so much support,'' Tjen said by phone last month from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. ''I know a lot of people are happy with my achievements.''

Eala and Tjen made their debuts at the Australian Open. Tjen had never competed there, and Eala lost in the first round of qualifying the last three years.

The World Students Society thanks Cindy Shmerler.