POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 19, 2024
Maks Kasnikowski advanced to the quarterfinals of the Enea Poznan Open. The 20-year-old secured his spot in the third round of the ATP Challenger Tour clay-court tournament on Wednesday afternoon by defeating Giovanni Fonio of Italy 6-3, 7-6(0). This marks Kasnikowski’s best performance in the history of his appearances at the Park Tenisowy Olimpia.
The World No. 230 showcased an impressive performance in the first round, knocking out the top seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain 6-3, 7-6(7). “I am very happy with my victory. Eliminating the top-seeded player is always an extra joy,” Kasnikowski commented afterwards.
On Wednesday, Polish fans were eagerly cheering for Kasnikowski, who had become a dark horse in this year’s tournament. The Warsaw native started the match with strong serves. The crucial moment came in the sixth game when he broke Fonio’s serve. Although Kasnikowski had a chance to close the set in the eighth game, the Italian defended well. However, the set soon concluded in favor of the Pole.
The second set’s outcome was decided in a tie-break, which Kasnikowski dominated, winning 7-0 due to numerous unforced errors from his opponent.
“Today, consistency was the key to victory. I played better than my opponent in the crucial moments. He made mistakes on easier shots. I can’t say I played perfectly, but I’m happy I held on, as today was tougher for me than Monday. I didn’t quite feel the ball, but I managed to play well in the key moments,” Kasnikowski said.
Playing with passion 👊
Maks Kasnikowski defeats Fonio 6-3, 7-6 and storms into the Poznan quarterfinals!#ATPChallenger | @poznanopen pic.twitter.com/3DfzCRYhd3
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 19, 2024
His next opponent on Thursday will be Czech Dalibor Svrcina, who defeated Italian Gianluca Mager 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. “I don’t intend to stop at the quarterfinals. I’ve played in Challenger quarterfinals the last two weeks, so maybe third time’s the charm,” Kasnikowski said.
“Dalibor is an experienced player at this level. He’s a good friend, and we’ve trained together many times. I hope we put on a good match and make it a great spectacle,” he concluded.
