At the PalaTennistavolo in Cagliari, Brunetti Castel Goffredo triumphed with a 3-1 victory over Quattro Mori Cagliari, securing their seventh Women’s Italian Cup. The medals and the trophy were presented by FITeT President Renato Di Napoli.
In the doubles match, Nicole ARLIA and Nikoleta STEFANOVA dominated the first and fourth games, while Miriam CARNOVALE and Arianna BARANI fought hard to save several set points, making comebacks in the second and third games. However, in the decisive fifth game, the Italian champions asserted their superiority to claim the win.
In the first singles match, Anastasiia Kolish started strong, but Tania PLAIAN staged an impressive comeback, securing victory in four games.
STEFANOVA then delivered a commanding performance, defeating BARANI in straight games.
The fourth match saw CARNOVALE dominate KOLISH in the opening game. However, KOLISH leveled in the second and, after a hard-fought battle in the next two games, ultimately secured a crucial victory, breathing a sigh of relief as she sealed the match.
Coach Alfonso LAGHEZZA reflected on the team’s triumph:
“We are very happy with this result. It was not an easy match at all. The opening doubles were crucial for us—we knew we could do well, but we didn’t expect such difficulties. Looking at the scores, when we won, we did so convincingly, and even in the sets we lost, we had several chances to close them out but failed to capitalize. I did not expect the first singles match to go differently. KOLISH can be inconsistent, whereas PLAIAN has gained significant international experience and is very solid. Stefanova played excellently and secured a straightforward win over BARANI. In the third singles, CARNOVALE started very well, but thankfully, KOLISH regained control, playing with more confidence and calculated risks. Her win was decisive—had she lost, the final match between ARLIA and PLAIAN would have been extremely close and unpredictable. Winning this seventh Italian Cup is another major achievement this season, especially after our seventh Super Cup. To do so without Bernadette SZŐCS and Andreea DRAGOMAN, our two strongest foreign players, makes this victory even more special—for us and for the girls, who were truly determined to succeed.”
Final Match Score:
Brunetti Castel Goffredo – Quattro Mori Cagliari 3-1
- Nicole ARLIA/Nikoleta STEFANOVA vs. Miriam CARNOVALE/ Arianna BARANI 3-2 (11-4, 13-15, 11-13, 11-2, 6-2)
- Anastasiia kolish vs. Tania PLAIAN 1-3 (11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 6-11)
- Nikoleta STEFANOVA vs. Arianna BARANI 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-4)
- Anastasiia KOLISH vs. Miriam CARNOVALE 3-1 (2-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-8)
