Cancun, Mexico, 5 November 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Cancun, Mexico
Ellen Perez has advanced to the biggest doubles final of her career at the WTA Finals in Cancun.
The 28-year-old Australian and her American partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez recorded a hard-fought 6-1 6-7(1) [10-6] victory against Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe in today’s semifinals.
Dabrowki and Routliffe are the reigning US Open champions and went undefeated during the WTA Finals group stage – but were outclassed early in this semifinal showdown.
Perez and Melichar-Martinez proved clutch under pressure, saving all seven break points they faced in a dominant first set.
The eighth seeds raced to a 6-1 3-0 lead – however had to hold off a late comeback from their opponents before eventually securing an impressive victory in one hour and 37 minutes.
“They did a good job of coming back,” Perez said. “We knew that they were a team that could easily turn things around and hit their shots. I think we did a good job of not letting that tear us down.”
World No.22 Perez becomes the first Australian to advance to a doubles final at the WTA Finals since Rennae Stubbs in 2008.
They’ll now face German Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva for the title. The sixth seeds scored a three-set victory against Australian Storm Hunter and her Belgian partner Elise Mertens in the other semifinal.
Despite this result, Hunter is guaranteed to rise to world No.1 at the conclusion of this tournament.
> READ: Hunter set to rise to world No.1
Aussies in action – WTA Finals
RESULTS
Women’s doubles, semifinals
[8] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) d [7] Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)/Erin Routliffe (NZL) 6-1 6-7(1) [10-6]
[6] Laura Siegemund (GER)/Vera Zvonareva d [2] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Elise Mertens (BEL) 3-6 6-3 [10-5]
COMING UP
Women’s doubles, final
[8] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v [6] Laura Siegemund (GER)/Vera Zvonareva
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