Laura Pigossi Defeats Maria Lourdes Carle to Claim Argentina Open Title

Laura Pigossi is celebrating a special first…

The 29-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player defeated Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win the Argentina Open.

Laura PigossiWorld No.137 Pigossi took 1 hour and 32 minutes to topple 175th-ranked Carle on the Argentine’s home soil. Pigossi is now 3-0 against Carle in their head-to-head, with all three of the Brazilian’s victories coming in straight sets.

In the process, Pigossi claimed her first-ever WTA Challenger title.

In the semifinals, she outlasted Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2).

Pigossi, currently ranked No. 137 in the WTA rankings, has won eight ITF titles in her career, as well as a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Games alongside compatriot Luisa Stefani.

Laura Pigossi Defeats Renata Zarazúa to Reach Argentina Open Final

Laura Pigossi is aiming for her first-ever WTA Challenger title…

The 29-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player outlasted Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2) at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday to reach the finals at the Argentina Open, a WTA 125 tournament.

Laura Pigossi Pigossi will next face Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle, the tournament’s No. 8 seed who defeated compatriot Julia Riera 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Pigossi, currently ranked No. 137 in the WTA rankings, has won eight ITF titles in her career, as well as a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Games alongside compatriot Luisa Stefani.

Luisa Stefani & Rafael Matos Win Australian Open Mixed Doubles Title to Become First All-Brazilian Team to Win Grand Slam

Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos are celebrating a historic win Down Under

The 25-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player and her 27-year-old compatriot defeated Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Friday to win the Australian Open mixed doubles title.

Luisa Stefani & Rafael MatosWith the win, Stefani and Matos become the first all-Brazilian team to win a Grand Slam.

The Brazilian pair took a 3-0 lead in the tiebreaker, and Mirza and Bopanna fought back to 3-2, but that was to be the last points the Indian duo took. They missed two overheads in a row, including Mirza’s shot into the net on set point.

Stefani and Matos broke Mirza’s serve in the fourth game of the second set to go up 3-1, with the break point coming after a lengthy exchange between the teams.

Stefani and Matos are undefeated as a team, having won all seven matches together at the United Cup and at Melbourne Park.

Stefani said an invitation from Matos to play together on her return from a serious knee injury provided inspiration as she completed her rehabilitation last year.

“It was about Wimbledon time last year, and he asked me how I was doing,” she said. “I was doing rehab. … That was a big motivation for me to keep working hard and keep getting closer to coming back.

“Now here we are, winning our first Grand Slam together in Australia in this beautiful court. … It’s a dream come true.”

Laura Pigossi & Luisa Stefani Claim Brazil’s First-Ever Olympic Tennis Medal at Tokyo Games

2020 Tokyo Games

Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani are celebrating more than an Olympic medal…

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player and the Brazilian tennis player defeated the Russian Olympic Committee‘s Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina for the bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Laura Pigossi & Luisa Stefani

With their victory, the pair has given Brazil its first ever medal in Olympic tennis.

Pigossi and Stefani won 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 in two hours and 11 minutes at Ariake Tennis Park on Saturday, saving four straight match points and winning six straight points to close out the match.

The pair upset two seeded teams in the first rounds of the tournament before losing to Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic, who’ll play for the gold, in the semifinals.