Bulgarian Badminton Duo Stoevi Sisters Reach Olympic Quarterfinals

Bulgarian badminton players Gabriela and Stefani Stoevi have advanced to the doubles quarterfinals at the Olympic Games for the first time in their careers.

The three-time European champions secured their spot after defeating American twins Annie and Kerry Xu in their final group match in Paris, with scores of 21:18, 20:12. This victory came on the birthday of their coach, Petya Nedelcheva-Hranova. The Stoevi sisters finished second in their group with two wins and one loss, earning a place among the top eight duos at the Olympics.

The Bulgarians dominated from the start, leading 4:1 and entering the mandatory break with an 11:7 advantage. After the break, the Stoevi sisters played more aggressively, with Stephanie's powerful smashes leaving the Americans unable to respond. Despite a late-game push by the American twins, Gabriela's excellent smash and Stephanie's short diagonal shot secured the first game at 20:18.

The Stoevi sisters continued their dominance in the second game, winning six consecutive points to lead 8:2. They maintained their lead, reaching the break at 11:7 and pulling away to 19:11. With eight match points at 20:12, they concluded the match on the first attempt with a shot between the two American players.