POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 22, 2024

Maks Kasnikowski has clinched the title of the 2024 Enea Poznan Open. The 20-year-old home favourite wrote a remarkable story by coming back in Saturday’s final of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 clay-court event against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Kasnikowski was trailing 3-6, 0-3, but ultimately defeated the Argentine 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Warsaw native became the third Polish player to win the title in the capital of Greater Poland following the triumphs of Jerzy Janowicz in 2012 and Hubert Hurkacz in 2018.

Kasnikowski and Carabelli had met twice before. Interestingly, both previous encounters took place in Poland, with the Argentine winning both times. The first clash was in Warsaw three years ago, and the second during the Poznan Open in 2022.

On his way to the final, Kasnikowski defeated top seed Albert Ramos Vinolas, Giovanni Fonio, Dalibor Svrcina, and Kamil Majchrzak. He lost only one set and spent a total of seven hours and 35 minutes on the court. Meanwhile, Carabelli dispatched Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo, Daniel Dutra Da Silva, Gastao Elias, and Genaro Alberto Olivieri. The 25-year-old from Buenos Aires also lost just one set and spent half an hour longer on the court than Kasnikowski.

The championship match started in windy conditions, which made it difficult for both players. Kasnikowski was the first to break and took a 2-0 lead. However, his advantage did not last long. Carabelli broke back to love. From that point, Kasnikowski struggled with his service games. Despite the tight games, the No. 2 seed from Argentina prevailed in crucial moments. As a result, Carabelli broke the Pole’s serve four times in the opening set, while losing his serve twice. After 51 minutes, Carabelli secured the set 6-3.

In the second set, the World No. 114 took a 3-0 lead and seemed on his way to his third ATP Challenger career title this year. However, the tide began to turn. Kasnikowski steadied his nerves and increased the pressure on his opponent. He began to accelerate the pace, approach the net more frequently, and played more aggressively, leading to more errors and wrong decisions from Carabelli. Consequently, Kasnikowski won five consecutive games and closed out the set at 5-4 on his third set point.

It was evident that the Pole was more confident on the court, while the Argentine had fewer answers to stop his rival. At the beginning of the decisive set, there were three breaks, with Kasnikowski holding his serve first to take a 3-1 lead. The World No. 230 remained consistent in his service games and kept a cool head in key moments. Ultimately, after two and a half hours of play, Kasnikowski became the champion of the Enea Poznan Open 2024.

20-year-old Maks Kasnikowski fights past No.2 seed Ugo Carabelli to triumph 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at home in Poland#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/Tey6flxCLD

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 22, 2024

“I am very happy and it’s hard to describe in words. My family was in the stands, and the joy is incredible. I am very glad that I won the tournament in Poland,” said Kasnikowski.

“I want to thank the fans because their cheering and support were very helpful and could turn the matches around. The fans’ support was crucial. When I was down 0-3 in the second set, everyone started cheering for me. It gave me a lot of energy, and I started to be more active on the court and more aggressive. It paid off. Winning in Poznań is definitely the biggest achievement in my career so far.”

Kasnikowski claimed his second ATP Challenger Tour career title following his triumph at the Oeiras Indoor Open in Portugal earlier this year, his first on clay. He earned €10,200 in prize money as well as 75 ATP Ranking points. This title will propel him into the Top 200 for the first time.