Janice Tjen wins Chennai to become first Indonesian player to win a WTA title since 2002

Janice Tjen has captured the first WTA title of her career, defeating Kimberly Birrell in the final of the Chennai Open on Sunday, 6-4, 6-3.

And with that, Tjen adds her name to a very exclusive list.

The 23-year-old is just the third Indonesian player to capture a WTA title in the Open Era, after Yayuk Basuki, who won six of them between 1991 and 1994, and Angelique Widjaja, who won two—in Bali, Indonesia in 2001 and in Pattaya City, Thailand in 2002.

Widjaja's triumph in Pattaya City came in November of 2002, the same week as that year's WTA Finals, when Kim Clijsters defeated Serena Williams for the title. Tjen was five months old at the time.

Tjen had come close to winning her first WTA title in September, when she reached her first WTA final in Sao Paulo, finishing runner-up there to France's Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.

A few weeks after that run in Brazil, Tjen broke into the Top 100, becoming the first player to crack that elite since Widjaja in 2004.

She's now projected to rise from No. 82 to just outside the Top 50.

Both Tjen and Birrell had battled through multiple three-setters to reach the final, including a dramatic comeback victory for Birrell in the semifinals the day before, where she rallied from 5-0 down in the third set—and saved five match points—to outlast Taiwan's Joanna Garland under sweltering conditions, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-5.

But in the final Tjen was just too solid when it mattered most, saving 12 of the 14 break points she faced—and converting on five of her own six break point opportunities—en route to a straight-set victory.

Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj was on hand for the trophy ceremony, where Tjen gave all kinds of praise to Australia's Birrell.

"She's very gritty," Tjen said. "We saw from the first round how really she can be, and she can come back every time. Even yesterday she was down match points and came back. She's a very experienced player, and it's never easy to play someone like Kim.

"So I'm glad to be able to win today."

Birrell echoed the sentiment. "Congratulations Janice," she said, "you played so well, and you deserve all of the success you're having."

Tjen would later take the court again for the doubles final.

More to come...