POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 17, 2026
Maks Kasnikowski remains the last Polish player standing in the singles draw of the Enea Poznan Open 2026 after securing a straight-sets victory over Italy’s Lorenzo Giustino to reach the second round.
The 2024 champion at the ATP Challenger event in Poznan defeated Giustino 6-4, 7-6(1) in a match that was heavily affected by weather conditions. The players took to the court on Monday evening, but torrential rain forced play to be suspended after just five games, with Kasnikowski leading 4-1 and holding a double-break advantage.
Play resumed shortly after noon on Tuesday. Giustino, currently ranked world No. 210, recovered one of the breaks early on, but Kaśnikowski maintained his composure to close out the opening set 6-4. The second set featured no service breaks despite the 22-year-old Pole creating four break-point opportunities. Ultimately, the match was decided in a tie-break, where Kasnikowski raced to a 5-0 lead before sealing victory 7-6(1).
“It wasn’t an easy match because the rain disrupted everything yesterday,” Kasnikowski said. “I was in a good rhythm, so the interruption definitely didn’t help me. Today I managed to stay focused and close out the first set. The second set was an incredible battle with lots of break points but no breaks. In the tie-break, I put my foot on the gas.”
The Warsaw native will now face second seed Jan Choinski, the British player of Polish descent, on Wednesday for a place in the quarterfinals.
Kasnikowski was not joined in the second round by fellow Pole Alan Wazny, who came heartbreakingly close to recording his first ATP Challenger main-draw victory. The two-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion battled through qualifying and produced an impressive performance against Czech Martin Krumich before eventually falling 6-3, 5-7, 6-7(4).
Wazny appeared to be on course for victory after taking the opening set and moving ahead 4-2 in the decider. However, Krumich fought back to force a tie-break, where the Czech proved stronger in the closing stages. The contest lasted nearly three hours and attracted a large and vocal crowd on Centre Court.
“What was missing was taking one of the chances I had in the third set,” Wazny said. “I’m really angry with myself because I didn’t finish the match. It was within reach. I just needed to play one or two balls a little better and avoid a few mistakes. Mentally, I didn’t handle it. There were too many emotions. Maybe next year I can finally get through the first round. Still, despite today’s loss, it was a good tournament for me and I played well.”
Later in the day, Daniel Michalski and Tomasz Berkieta also exited the tournament.
Michalski’s campaign ended in just 75 minutes as he was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by eighth seed Guido Heide of Brazil. Although the scoreline appeared one-sided, the Pole had opportunities early in the match, including four break points in the second game, but was unable to capitalize.
“My opponent played much better than I did,” Michalski admitted. “The match felt closer than the score suggests, but he won all the important points. It was a very clinical performance from him. The better player won.”
Berkieta, meanwhile, was beaten 7-6(4), 6-3 by seventh-seeded Peruvian Gonzalo Bueno. The 19-year-old matched his higher-ranked opponent for much of the opening set and recovered an early break before narrowly losing the tie-break. Bueno’s greater experience proved decisive in the second set.
“It’s a shame about this match,” Berkieta said. “In the key moments I lacked a cool head. In the tie-break I played a great point and then tried to do something spectacular again in the next points. That was simply a bad decision. I know that now. My lack of experience at this level showed. Still, I’m grateful to the organizers for the wild card.”
