MASPALOMAS/STARNBERG, August 1, 2026
Laura Pigossi of Brazil and Turkish qualifier Berfu Cengiz will contest the singles final of the ITF W100 DISA Gran Canaria Maspalomas after producing two outstanding semifinal performances on Saturday. The pair will meet on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in the championship match of Spain’s highest-category World Tennis Tour women’s tournament. It will be the first ITF W100 final for both players.
A packed crowd at Club Conde Jackson Tennis Maspalomas witnessed the opening semifinal between top seed Dominika Salkova of the Czech Republic, ranked World No. 121, and Brazil’s Laura Pigossi, the World No. 239 and Brazil’s first Olympic tennis medalist after winning bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Pigossi had already enjoyed an impressive week, including a victory over former World No. 41 Arantxa Rus, and was appearing in her first ITF W100 semifinal.
The opening set featured long, high-quality rallies between the physically imposing Salkova and the relentless Pigossi, who remained composed under pressure. The Brazilian capitalized on her opponent’s increasing unforced errors to edge the first set 7-5 before taking complete control of the match. Pigossi dominated the second set 6-1 to book her place in the biggest final of her career.
“The level at this tournament is incredibly high,” Pigossi said afterwards. “The girls are playing very well, but I’m giving everything I have and I hope to do the same again in the final.”
The second semifinal proved equally entertaining as qualifier Berfu Cengiz took on Malta’s Francesca Curmi, the highest-ranked player in her country’s history. Cengiz arrived in the last four without dropping a set all week, while both players showcased powerful two-handed backhands throughout the contest.
Curmi made the stronger start and looked in control after racing into an early lead, but Cengiz responded with increasingly aggressive tennis, recovering from 0-2 down to claim the opening set 6-3.
The momentum shifted again in the second set as Curmi, despite struggling physically, raised her level to force a decider with a convincing 6-2 performance.
Both players battled through obvious fatigue in a dramatic final set. Serving for the match at 5-3, Cengiz was unable to convert after facing three break points, but the Turkish player regrouped to seal a hard-fought 6-4 victory and become the first qualifier ever to reach the singles final in the history of the ITF W100 DISA Gran Canaria Maspalomas.
“It was a very tough match and I’m really happy to have reached the final,” Cengiz said. “My opponent is a great fighter. I hope it will be a great final and that I can play my best tennis.”
Kulambayeva/Siskova crowned doubles champions
Earlier in the day, Zhibek Kulambayeva of Kazakhstan and Czech partner Anna Siskova lifted the doubles title with a straight-sets victory over Dominika Salkova and Sweden’s Lisa Zaar.
The second seeds, who have played together regularly since 2021, displayed excellent chemistry from the outset, racing through the opening set 6-3. Although Salkova and Zaar mounted a stronger challenge in the second set, Kulambayeva and Siskova prevailed in a tie-break to secure the championship without dropping a set all week.
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During the trophy ceremony, attended by tournament promoter and Club Conde Jackson manager Dominic Conde and tournament director Oti Santana, the champions thanked the organizers “for an amazing tournament” and said they were delighted to have won the title against such a strong field.
