Thursday was the busiest day of the tournament. Thirty-two matches were played across six courts — the second round of the boys’ and girls’ singles, as well as the complete opening round of both doubles competitions. By the evening, all 16 singles quarterfinalists and 16 doubles quarterfinal pairs were known.
For the hosts, the day produced mixed results. Of the eight Polish players who took to the courts in singles, only two reached the quarterfinals — and neither was a girl. In doubles, however, three all-Polish pairs advanced, including two representing AZS Poznań.
MATCH OF THE DAY ENDS IN DEFEAT FOR THE HOME PLAYER
Thursday’s best match was played in the morning on Court 1. Michał Pielat of AZS Poznań faced seventh-seeded Belgian Nicolas Fays, ranked almost 100 places above him in the ITF standings, and was not defeated until the third set. The Pole secured the second set by winning the tie-break 7–1.
After the match, tournament director Jacek Muzolf said that everyone who had watched it agreed that its quality was worthy of a final. Pielat may have left the court defeated, but he had produced the best performance by any player at this year’s tournament so far.
Jan Skrzyński, meanwhile, faced fourth seed Nikolai Shibani and lost 3–6, 3–6.
JEŻ AND JĘDRYKA INTO THE QUARTERFINALS
Two Polish players made it into the last eight. Sixth seed Wiktor Jeż defeated Nikolaos Papavasiliu 6–3, 7–5. Jakub Jędryka, who had reached the main draw through qualifying, dropped only three games against Sweden’s Alexander Chmielewski.
Jędryka is the only quarterfinalist who had to win three rounds of qualifying. On Friday, he will face his toughest challenge of the tournament so far — third-seeded Serbian Djordje Sapic.
SECOND SEED OUT, SIX SEEDS REMAIN
The boys’ draw lost one of its favourites on Thursday — but it was the highest-ranked of those still eliminated. Spain’s Jorge Martinez Vasquez swept aside second-seeded German Lasse Bohra and reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set throughout the tournament.
Apart from that result, there were no major surprises in the boys’ competition. Tavish Pahwa dropped only one game against Mario Vukovic, Marco Meacci defeated Volodymyr Revenko 6–1, 6–1, and Djordje Sapic beat Rodion Traigel 6–1, 7–6(1). Six of the eight seeds reached the quarterfinals.
The situation was the opposite in the girls’ draw. Only two of the eight seeds remain — Sara Oliveriusova and Yerkezhan Zhanatayeva. Anna-Adelina Nykyforuk lost to Romania’s Ana Chindris 4–6, 4–6, while Milla Kotamaki was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Tamina Saken 3–6, 5–7.
IDASZEWSKA TWO POINTS FROM THE QUARTERFINALS
The most closely contested girls’ match of the day was Anna Idaszewska’s encounter with Slovakia’s Diana Petrasova. The player from Poznań and Park Tenisowy Olimpia won the opening set in a tie-break, forced another tie-break in the third and lost it 5–7. In the space of two days, she went from defeating the top seed to falling just two points short of the quarterfinals — having already reached the main draw through three rounds of qualifying.
The remaining Polish players also bowed out of the singles competition. Daria Dehmel lost to Katerina Filipova 5–7, 3–6, Alicja Szweda was unable to trouble second seed Sara Oliveriusova, and Anna Skorupska retired against Elly Meszarosova while trailing 0–6, 1–4.
DOUBLES SALVAGE THE EVENING
The afternoon session brought far better news. Three all-Polish pairs reached the quarterfinals, while a fourth advancing team featured Aleksandra Zapława.
Antoni Kasperski and Hubert Plenkiewicz knocked out fourth seeds Lasse Bohra and Raul Clarijsa. They lost the opening set in a tie-break, levelled the match and won the deciding super tie-break 10–7. They are the only all-Polish pair remaining in the boys’ doubles.
In the girls’ competition, two AZS Poznań pairs advanced. Zofia Janusz and Martyna Sikora defeated third seeds Ana Chindris and Yerkezhan Zhanatayeva 6–2, 6–4. Maja Maksimowicz and Wiktoria Szychowska, both only 15 years old, beat Wanda Kuszak and Nadia Jasińska 6–2, 6–3.
Karolina Ligai and Aleksandra Zapława also came back after losing the opening set 0–6, defeating Matylda Chedryk and Anna Holovash in a super tie-break, 10–7.
Daria Dehmel and Alicja Szweda came closest to producing another upset. Top seeds Caroline Hermanns and Anna-Adelina Nykyforuk lost the opening set to the Polish pair 1–6, but eventually prevailed 11–9 in the deciding super tie-break.
Wiktor Jeż and Jan Skrzyński did not complete their match, retiring while trailing Mattia Pescosolido and Itamar Verthaimer 2–6. Michał Pielat and Jerzy Filip Urban, Igor Barthik and Emil Makiela, as well as Mateusz Nowak and Antoni Szary, were also eliminated.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Friday will feature the complete quarterfinal programme. Singles matches begin at 9:30 AM on four courts, with doubles entering the schedule from noon.
Jakub Jędryka will face Djordje Sapic in the first match of the day on Court 1, followed by Wiktor Jeż against Jorge Martinez Vasquez. The other boys’ quarterfinals are Tavish Pahwa against Marco Meacci and Nicolas Fays against Nikolai Shibani.
In the girls’ competition, Diana Petrasova will face Yerkezhan Zhanatayeva, Ana Chindris will play Katerina Filipova, Tamina Saken will meet Sara Oliveriusova, and Natalie Irahol will take on Elly Meszarosova. The latter two will play twice on the same day — first against each other in singles and then together in the doubles quarterfinals.
In the girls’ doubles, Maja Maksimowicz and Wiktoria Szychowska face top seeds Caroline Hermanns and Anna-Adelina Nykyforuk. Zofia Janusz and Martyna Sikora will play Karolina Ligai and Aleksandra Zapława, guaranteeing Polish representation in the semifinals. Antoni Kasperski and Hubert Plenkiewicz will face Mattia Pescosolido and Itamar Verthaimer in the boys’ doubles quarterfinals.
