POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 17, 2026
Jan Choinski booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Enea Poznan Open 2026 after overcoming Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a high-quality second-round encounter. While the victory ended the singles campaign of the last remaining Polish player in the draw of the ATP Challenger 100 tournament, Choinski’s post-match comments quickly earned him the support of the local crowd.
Born in Germany and representing Great Britain, the world No. 106 surprised many spectators by conducting his on-court interview in fluent Polish.
“I am Polish,” Choinski said to loud cheers from the stands. “My father is from Gdansk and my mother is British. My father was a dancer and met my mother in Germany. They fell in love and stayed there. I was born in Germany, but I’m lucky that my father taught me how to speak Polish. It’s great to be here in Poland.”
Reflecting on the match, Choinski added: “It was a great match. Maks played extremely well, especially in the second set. I’m happy that I managed to motivate myself again in the third set and get through his strong period of play. My own tennis improved as well.”
Kasnikowski entered the contest full of confidence after defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Giustino 6-4, 7-6(1) in the opening round. The 22-year-old had become Poland’s sole remaining representative in the singles draw following the exits of Alan Wazny, Daniel Michalski and Tomasz Berkieta.
Against the tournament’s second seed, however, the challenge was significantly tougher. Choinski had opened his campaign with a straight-sets victory over Pedro Boscardin Dias and arrived in Poznan determined to make the most of his long-awaited opportunity to compete in Poland.
After dropping the opening set, Kasnikowski responded brilliantly in the second. The Pole produced some of his best tennis of the week, serving impressively, attacking aggressively and frequently moving forward to finish points at the net.
“I played the second set at a very high level,” Kasnikowski said. “I served really well, played aggressively and came to the net a lot. I could see that Jan was struggling mentally towards the end of the set.”
His performance recalled the form that carried him to the Poznan Challenger title in 2024, but Choinski regrouped in the deciding set. The crucial moment came in a lengthy fourth game, where the Brit secured the decisive break of serve. Kasnikowski later had one opportunity to break back but was unable to convert it.
“What was missing was the third set,” Kasnikowski admitted. “Overall, I’m satisfied because I played against a very strong opponent. He’s in excellent form and has won several tournaments this year. I showed that I can compete with players of this level on equal terms. I’m looking to the future with optimism.”
With the victory, Choinski advances to the quarterfinals, where he will face Brazil’s Gustavo Heide, who beat Czech qualifier Maxim Mrva 6-3, 6-3.
Clay court mastery 💪
🇧🇷 Gustavo Heide advances to the quarters in Poznan, 6-3, 6-3.#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/lMMheTrC4e
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 17, 2026
