Gabriela Stoeva/ Stefani Stoeva had to get past another strong European pair to reach their first quarterfinal at the World Championships, and the sisters have delivered.
Today at the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships we have already said goodbye to two pairs that represent the upcoming talent of Europe – Thom Gicquel/ Delphine Delrue and Christopher Grimley/ Matthew Grimley. Kirsty Gilmour and Mia Blichfeldt, the two European contenders left fighting in the women’s singles, have also lost right before quarterfinal.
Overcoming any setbacks
We have also had happy stories. Mark Lasmfuss/ Isabel Lohau faced Hoo Pang Ron/ Cheah Yee See, who reached the Indonesia Masters 2021 quarterfinals, and the Germans duo got in the quarterfinals after a three-game battle: 21-13, 13-21, 21-18. The Stoevas will also join them in representing Europe in the quarterfinals.
The grand finale to the 2021 BWF World Tour and the last challenge in the long stay in Bali, the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2021, did not result in such a happy ending for the Bulgarian sisters. Having reached the semifinals, the duo had to withdraw due to Gabriela having a pinched nerve in her back.
- We have been working a lot the past few days with my backpain. I am happy to be back on court. I was unsure even when we got here to Huelva because on the first training I could not move. Everything has worked for us. We played alone without our coach, but we support each other and we talk to each other, Gabriela said.
The sisters faced Chloe Birch/ Lauren Smith, who they met not that long ago on the first match of the World Tour Finals. The sisters won in straight games, and it was yet to be seen if the English pair could turn the result around this time.
Breaking a bad luck spell
Gabriela Stoeva/ Stefani Stoeva had not made it to the World Championships quarterfinals just yet, but this win was their ticket to their special first time and to get closer to the title. The sisters pushed hard today, and Stefani is grateful to her sister’s efforts to overcome the difficulties on the way.
- I am happy that Gabi can play again. She has suffered a lot since Bali, and I am glad that we reached this. This is a big victory for her, after everything that she has been through to come here, travelling for 30 hours with the backpain. I am happy that she did not give up and that she fought, Stefani explained.
This is undoubtedly an important win for the sisters, who are overjoyed to now have the opportunity to play in the quarterfinals.
- We have finally broken this bad luck spell that we had in the past few years so we are very happy to reach our first quarterfinals here in World Championships and we are happy with our performance too, Gabriela stated.
Next up, they will be facing a pair who have experience in not only reaching the World Championships quarterfinals, but on being the champions not once but twice. Mayu Matsumoto/ Wakana Nagahara won in 2018 and 2019, but the Stoevas are ready to give their all on court in what will be a special match for them, regardless of the outcome.
- We will not put pressure on ourselves. We will go on court to enjoy, but of course we will also fight and try our best, Stefani concluded.