Bashta, who switched allegiance from Russia to Azerbaijan in 2019, is positioned 29^th in the FIE's individual women's sabre rankings, while her French opponent is second.

Apithy-Brunet also won an individual bronze medal and a team silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but was on the wrong end of a 15-10 scoreline in the final against Bashta at the Complex Sila

En route to the final, Bashta clinched a narrow 15-13 victory over Italy's Rossella Gregorio and beat Japanese third seed Misaki Emura in the main tableau of eight.

This followed victories by six and four points, respectively, against the United States' Anne-Elizabeth Stone and Germany's Julika Funke.

In the other half of the draw, Apithy-Brunet triumphed 15-9 over her compatriot Malina Vongsavady after seeing off Russia's Svetlana Sheveleva 15-10 in the last eight.

She had earlier got past Spain's Araceli Navarro 15-7, before edging Italian Chiara Mormile 15-14.

Gregorio and Vongsavady clinched the two bronze medals in Plovdiv.

The Italian defeated second seed and double Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Liza Pusztai of Hungary 15-10 in the quarter-finals, while Vongsavady won 15-13 against Russia's Olga Nikitina.

A women's sabre team event is set to be staged in Plovdiv tomorrow.