Melichar-Martinez and Perez victorious to start Thursday in Cancun

In a thrilling match at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun, No.8 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez secured their first victory of the week. They defeated No.3 seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara with a score of 4-6, 6-2, [10-6] on Thursday.

Despite rain affecting their previous matches, Melichar-Martinez and Perez overcame the weather disruptions in this match. They persevered through a lengthy rain break and a shorter one to claim their win in just 1 hour and 32 minutes of play.

With this win, Melichar-Martinez and Perez now hold a 1-1 record in the Maya Ka’an Group. They have one more match remaining in the group play. On the other hand, the all-Japanese duo of Aoyama and Shibahara finished the round-robin portion of the tournament with a 1-2 record.

The match on Thursday experienced rain interruptions after only two games. The players had to wait for nearly two hours before they could resume. Aoyama and Shibahara managed to claim the first set, despite some games going against serve.

However, Melichar-Martinez and Perez turned the momentum around in the second set and dominated to reach the decisive match-tiebreak.

In the 10-point breaker, which included a short pause for a shower, Melichar-Martinez and Perez showcased their skills with impressive volleys, resulting in a commanding 6-2 advantage for them.

The Japanese duo fought back and narrowed the gap to 6-5 in the match-tiebreak. However, Melichar-Martinez and Perez remained steady and won four of the next five points to secure their victory, avenging their loss to Aoyama and Shibahara at Indian Wells earlier this year.

The other two teams in the Maya Ka’an Group, No.2 seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, and No.5 seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs, are scheduled to play later today.

Stay tuned for more updates…