Sunday (18) was special for Brazilian Luisa Stefani, 25 years old, champion in the doubles of the WTA 250 in Chennai (India), alongside Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski. It is Stefani’s first title this season: the São Paulo native returned to compete at the Chennai Open, after a year of recovery from surgery on her right knee. The Brazil-Canada partnership was left on the court in the final against the pair between Russian Anna Blinkova and Georgian Natela Dzalamidze: victory by 2 sets to 0 (partials of 6/1 and 6/2).
After a year out with injury… ❤️?@Luisa__Stefani has her hands on a trophy with @GabyDabrowski again!#ChennaiOpen pic.twitter.com/kbpPUHVusE
— wta (@WTA) September 18, 2022
“Very happy with the title, but especially with the week. I’m feeling super good, the knee is fine, the body is good too. As well as the good head. Very happy to return to play, to compete. We’ve been improving game after game. game, and I’m feeling better. And playing with Gabi, I don’t even have words. There’s no one I’d like to be with, more than her, on this lap. and now getting the title both together is inexplicable”, said an emotional Stefani, in an interview with the organizers of the WTA in Chennai.
Stefani and Gabi disputed the semifinal of the US Open last year, when the Brazilian tore the cruciate ligament in her right knee. They had previously been champions together at the WTA in Montreal (Canada) and runners-up in San Jose and Cincinnati – both tournaments in the United States. Also last season, Stefani was runner-up twice alongside American Hayley Carter – at the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and at the WTA 500 in Adelaide (Australia).
The Brazilian’s next challenge will be the Tokyo WTA 500, starting this Monday (19), in which she will play alongside Japanese Ena Shibahara. And right in the debut, Stefani will face Gabi Gabrowski with another partner, the Mexican Giulia Olmos. Stefani has fond memories of Tokyo, where she won bronze, her first Olympic medal, alongside compatriot Laura Pigossi, last year.
“This is life now, tennis is like this. Nothing describes tennis better. Today we are here together, winning a title, in the next tournament, against each other. And I’m really excited to play a good game against them. a great year, merged together”, concluded Stefani.
She’s ? and she’s feeling good ?
A touching winner’s speech from #ChennaiOpen champion @Luisa__Stefani alongside partner @GabyDabrowski ? pic.twitter.com/SEhkbjBXyK
— wta (@WTA) September 18, 2022
