Melo and Peers are the champions of the tiebreaks

Marcelo Melo and John Peers are the doubles champions of the 30th TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. The Brazilian and the Australian defeated the Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the final with 7:6(3), 3:6 and 10:6 in the championship tiebreak. Speaking of tiebreaks: Melo/Peers are not only the tournament winners, they are also the Halle kings of the tiebreak or match tiebreak. In rounds one and two they each won in the decisive match tiebreak, in the semi-final against Oscar Otte and Jan-Lennard Struff they were successful in two tiebreaks, in the final they won a tiebreak and the all-decisive match tiebreak.

For the 39-year-old Melo, the former number 1 in the doubles world rankings, it is the third tournament win in Halle. In 2017 and 2018, he triumphed together with his long-time partner Lukasz Kubot. With the Pole, he also reached the 2019 final, which was narrowly lost to Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus. The sole record doubles winner in Halle so far was Klaasen. The South African won in 2015, 2016 and 2019 at the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN.

It was a match of equals, especially in the first set. Both teams had break chances, Melo/Peers even had a set point when leading 5:4, but in the end all four players brought their service games home. It went into the tiebreak. There, after the first mini-break at 4:2, the Brazilian and the Australian pushed the score to 6:3, and with another good return by John Peers (34 years old) at 7:3, the first set was through.

In set two, it was Melo who was the only player to lose his serve. Bolelli/Vavassori easily broke their service and used their second set point to make it 6-3. The match tiebreak at the end of the sporting part of the 30th TERRA WORTMANN OPEN was a clear affair. Melo/Peers extended their lead from 4:1 and 7:3 to 9:4, and Marcelo Melo then converted the third match point with a volley to make it 10:6.

Melo and Peers played their seventh tournament together in Halle - and they were in the final for the first time. And very successfully, too. For the Brazilian it is the 37th triumph in a doubles competition on the ATP Tour, for the Australian success number 27.   

For the Italians, who were competing together for the third time, Halle was a complete success despite the defeat. Twice they had failed in round one, at the 30th TERRA WORTMANN OPEN Bolelli/Vavassori won three matches - before they met Melo/Peers.