By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday April 14, 2020
Nicole Melichar cracked the Top 10 this week and is setting her sights in greater milestones after winning the title in Charleston with Demi Schuurs.
Photo Source: Chris Smith/ Volvo Car Open
Nicole Melichar has been one of the best players in the doubles games for quite some time (three straight Top 20 finishes in the WTA's doubles rankings), but until this week, something was missing next to her name: a Top 10 ranking. In 2021 the 27-year-old has taken care of that problem swiftly, even in a year where it is difficult to make up ground due to the two-year ranking system that the WTA has implemented due to the pandemic.
After claiming the Charleston title with new partner Demi Schuurs, Melichar moved into the WTA’s Top 10 in doubles rankings for the first time.
It’s a milestone that was complemented nicely by the fact that Melichar has now won 10 titles in her career.
"Tenth title and Top 10, so I think it was maybe a little bit meant to be today,” Melichar told Tennis Now. “Obviously it's not just me it's the whole team around me it's my partner Demi, it's my coach Torsten [Peschke], my boyfriend Carlos, my family, I mean it's a whole village that works behind me and I feel like I have worked very hard to try and improve on my weaknesses but also improve on my strengths - I've been hanging at 11 for a while and unfortunately with the frozen rankings, with players not dropping points it was very difficult, so I am definitely proud of myself.”
Melichar and Schuurs are 15-5 on the season with an Australian Open semi-final and titles at Doha and Charleston. It’s a great start for the pair but Melichar and Schuurs clearly want more.
“Top 10 is a milestone that I'm super proud of and excited by, but it's not the end goal, I will obviously raise my goals, you know Top 5, maybe someday No.1, I want to try and win a Grand Slam with Demi, there are obviously things I want to try and improve on every day, it's an amazing milestone but there is still a lot of work ahead."
Schuurs, a former World No.7, currently ranks 11. She says the pair are dying to get on the grass and show what type of tennis they can produce on their favorite surface.
"I have to say both of us, I think we really like grass, so it's actually opposite sides from clay, but also today we showed that we can play on every surface, so I don't want to pick like one Grand Slam, I think we are both all-around [players] and the last years we showed that we can win tournaments but I think if we both have to choose, I think we would pick Wimbledon, first of all Wimbledon is special but we also like grass, and it's going so fast to play in grass, I think it will fit our game styles as well."
Olympic Dreams
Melichar can automatically qualify for the Olympics if she can hang on to a Top 10 ranking through Roland-Garros. The American says she’s eager to go to Tokyo but doesn’t know who she would play with if she goes.
"Absolutely if I am Top 10 and I get my Olympic spot, absolutely I would love to go and represent my country,” she said. “Olympics has been a dream of mine, so that's my goal, not just to stay Top 10 but try and progress my ranking further in the next weeks. I have no idea who I would play with, I don't really know what the rules are - if I get to choose or if they get to choose - I leave that up in the air."
Friendship Brings them Together
What makes Melichar and Schuurs such a strong team? Schuurs says it is a combination between camaraderie and having two playing styles that mesh together well.
"If you just see our games I think it just fits to each other," Schuurs said. "Nicki’s very strong from the back, has a good serve. I like to be at the net, I like to be touchy, Nicki plays with a lot of pressure from the net and I'm coming in. The opponents are always under pressure when they play us, and if you don't feel well, or even if you feel well, I think it's tough to beat a team that is playing always with a lot of pressure."
"We are just good friends, on court but also off court, we practice a lot together when we are on the road, so I think that's an advantage, we always can practice every day, we keep improving and practicing to be better."