The pair formed by Brazilian Luisa Stefani and Hungarian Timea Babos defeated defending champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe by 2 sets to 1 on the center court of the WTA Finals, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Thursday (6). The match, in the third round of the group stage, lasted two hours and had splits of 6/5, 5/7 and 10/5 in the super tiebreak. The victory qualified Stefani and Babos to the semi-finals as leaders of the Liezel Huber Group, with two wins in three games, while their rivals were eliminated.
Stefani, Brazil’s number 1 in doubles, and her partner reacted to a defeat in the debut and a victory in the second round. The game was balanced with alternating breaks, but consistency in the final tiebreak decided the advance.
Statistics show the winners’ superiority in points received, with 59 against 34 for the losers.
Strong serve drives turnaround
Babos and Stefani converted 3 of 7 break points, exploiting their opponents’ mistakes. They won 58% of the points on the first serve and 63% on the second, reversing their rivals’ numbers.
The Hungarian avoided double faults, contributing 35 service points. This allowed control in the games, winning 9 out of 11.
- Aces: 0 for the winners, but efficiency in returns made up for it.
- Total points: 72 scored by Stefani/Babos.
- Consecutive games: 4 in tiebreaks for the Brazilians.
The fast court favored the duo’s aggressive style, which saved 4 of 9 breaks.
Stefani and Babos’ Finals Campaign
The partnership debuted with a 2-1 defeat to Siniakova and Townsend. In the second round, they beat Andreeva and Shnaider 7/5, 2/6 and 10/7, tying in the table.
Now, with the decisive victory, Stefani becomes the first Brazilian in the doubles semifinals at the WTA Finals. Babos, former number 1, has experience in majors.
The season includes four titles: Linz, Strasbourg, São Paulo and Tokyo, all WTA 500 or 250.
History against the champions
Stefani and Babos faced Dabrowski and Routliffe for the second time in 2025, after losing at the US Open. The overall score nowra is 1-1.
The losers opened with a victory over the Russians by 6/3 and 7/6. They lost on Monday to Siniakova/Townsend 2-0, complicating classification.
Stefani accumulated 124 points in the group stage. Babos contributed to 93 games won this season.
Tactics that sealed the rankings
The winners had varied returns, breaking three times in the first set. Routliffe made a mistake in the tiebreak, giving up 7 points in a row.
Babos closed the net with precise volleys, while Stefani pressured her rivals’ second serve. The match had 11 games won by the Brazilians.
Dabrowski tried aces, but 3 double faults opened up gaps. The super tiebreak lasted 15 minutes, with a focus on consistency.
This strategy reinforces the pair’s adaptation to fast surfaces, key to advancement.
Match statistical details
Stefani and Babos scored 72 total points, compared to 59 from their opponents. They won 70% on the rival’s first serve.
In the tiebreak, they converted decisive chances, with 10/7. Consecutive point victories: 7 by the winners.
- Break points: 3/7 converted by the Brazilians.
- Service points: 38 for Babos/Stefani.
- Tiebreaks: 1 won by the duo.
The ranking elevates Stefani to the top 15 in the doubles rankings.