Dabrowski’s reunion with Stefani pays off with WTA 1000 doubles title in Dubai

Luisa Stefani, left, of Brazil, bump fists with Gabriela Dabrowski, of Canada during a women's doubles match against Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara, of Japan, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

DUBAI — Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski has her first WTA doubles title since reuniting with Brazil’s Luisa Stefani.

Dabrowski and Stefani, seeded fifth, defeated the unseeded duo of Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-3 in Saturday’s final at the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The match lasted one hour 13 minutes, with Dabrowski and Stefani winning 59.3 per cent of total points.

They converted their only break-point opportunity and saved both they faced.

Dabrowski reunited with Stefani this season after she and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe mutually ended a 2 1/2-year partnership in November that produced multiple titles, including two U.S. Open women’s doubles titles.

Dabrowski and Stefani previously won titles together at the 2021 National Bank Open in Montreal and Chennai, India, in 2022.