POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 21, 2024
A true celebration of Polish tennis took place at the Enea Poznan Open on Friday. In the singles semi-final, Maks Kasnikowski faced off against Kamil Majchrzak. In a three-set battle, the 20-year-old from Warsaw emerged victorious, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Majchrzak fought not only against his opponent but also against a hand injury.
Right after the tournament draw, it was clear that Kansikowski and Majchrzak could potentially meet in the stage of the last four. Their current form suggested that fans might witness such a match at the Park Tenisowy Olimpia, although few believed it would actually happen. Both Kasnikowski and Majchrzak performed very well from the beginning of the tournament, leading to the fraternal duel between Poland’s number two and three rackets on Friday afternoon.
Each player had a different path to this historic moment for Polish tennis. The 20-year-old Kasnikowski spent five hours and 28 minutes on the court, while the eight-year-older Majchrzak spent six hours and 40 minutes. Additionally, Majchrzak played seven matches at the Bratislava Challenger, where he clinched the title just before arriving in Poznan. Thus, in 12 days, he played 10 matches.
The two Poles know each other very well, although they have officially played against each other twice, with the older player winning both times. The last match took place at the end of January at an ATP Challenger in Belgium. The first few points showed that Majchrzak had significantly more experience at a high level, having previously been ranked in the Top 100. The player from Piotrkow broke his opponent’s serve in the second game, which was the key to winning the first set. Kasnikowski served significantly worse than in previous matches, and his serve posed no threat to the 28-year-old.
The second set had a completely different course, also due to Majchrzak’s health condition. The 28-year-old had a major issue with his left wrist and requested a medical timeout at 2-2. Kasnikowski noticed his opponent’s weakness and played mainly to his backhand. He broke his opponent’s serve in the eighth game and shortly after, won the set.
In the deciding set, it became an even battle. The most crucial moment was the third game when the Kasnikowski broke serve. Despite his wrist problems, Majchrzak fought to turn the match around. He even had a chance for a break back in the seventh game, but he failed to convert it. After two hours and eight minutes, the match ended with a service ace from Kasnikowski.
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Kasnikowski became the third Polish finalist of the Poznan Open, following Jerzy Janowicz (2011, 2012) and Hubert Hurkacz (2018).
The World No. 230 will next take on No. 2 seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who emerged victorious from the all-Argentine affair, winning 6-4, 6-4 over Genaro Alberto Olivieri in one hour and 36 minutes.
“I’m satisfied, but it wasn’t an easy match. It was important for both of us, and it’s never easy to play against your best friend. Fortunately, I was the one leaving the court as the winner. I was better in the crucial moments and had better solutions for the situations in the match,” Ugo Carabelli said.
