Wednesday marked the first day of the main draw. A full programme of 32 first-round boys’ and girls’ singles matches was completed across six courts, reducing the draws of the 50th Wojciech Fibak Grand Prix to 32 players by the evening. Eight Polish players remain in contention.
The day belonged to the girls’ draw, where half of the seeded players — including the top seed — were eliminated. The situation was almost the exact opposite in the boys’ competition, with seven of the eight seeds surviving the opening round.
IDASZEWSKA KNOCKS OUT THE TOP SEED
The biggest result of the day was recorded by Anna Idaszewska. The Poznań player from Park Tenisowy Olimpia, who reached the main draw after winning three rounds of qualifying, faced top-seeded Dane Caroline Hermanns and prevailed in three sets. After losing the opening set, Idaszewska won the next two by identical scores.
Hermanns was not the only seeded player to leave the tournament after just one match. Czech Katerina Filipova eliminated third seed Ching Ying Chen 7–6(3), 6–2. Filipova’s compatriot Natalie Irahol came back from a set down against fourth seed Yen-Ni Chiang to win 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, while Anna Skorupska defeated eighth seed Maria Alexandra Mateas 6–3, 6–4. All four lower seeds remain in the draw: Sara Oliveriusova, Anna-Adelina Nykyforuk, Yerkezhan Zhanatayeva and Milla Kotamaki.
FOUR POZNAŃ PLAYERS INTO THE SECOND ROUND
It was a strong day for the local players. Michał Pielat of AZS Poznań opened proceedings with a 6–3, 6–3 victory over Tymur Chukanov, while in the afternoon Alicja Szweda defeated Slovakia’s Sofia Rachel Kocisova 7–5, 6–3.
Together with the two Park Tenisowy Olimpia players — Anna Idaszewska and Anna Skorupska — four players from Poznań advanced to the second round.
Tournament director Jacek Muzolf made no secret of his satisfaction with the local players’ performances. He particularly highlighted Pielat, who in his view played at a very high level and won in impressive style, as well as 15-year-old Szweda, one of the youngest players in the draw.
The Polish quartet in the girls’ draw was completed by Daria Dehmel, who defeated Karolina Ligai 6–2, 4–6, 6–2.
MAGDALENA GRZYBOWSKA’S SON WINS IN THE CITY WHERE HIS MOTHER WAS BORN
Magdalena Grzybowska appeared at the AZS courts on Wednesday to support her son. Jan Skrzyński defeated Italy’s Mattia Pescosolido 6–3, 6–2 and advanced to the second round.
Grzybowska was born in Poznań and was Poland’s leading female tennis player for many years. In August 1998, she climbed to No. 30 in the WTA rankings — a position no Polish woman surpassed until the emergence of Agnieszka Radwańska. A year earlier, in the first round at Wimbledon, she defeated 17-year-old Venus Williams 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. It was the American’s debut on the grass courts of the All England Club, where she would later win the title five times.
Grzybowska’s achievements also include the 1996 Australian Open girls’ singles title and victories over Jennifer Capriati and Conchita Martínez. She retired in 2002 at the age of 24 following a knee injury.
Her son faces a more difficult challenge on Thursday, when he takes on fourth-seeded Norwegian Nikolai Shibani.
BOYS’ SEEDS ALMOST UNTOUCHED
The boys’ draw survived the first round almost intact. The only seeded player eliminated was No. 8 Ivan Charnyshou, who was beaten by Jakub Jędryka — one of three Polish players to reach the main draw through qualifying.
The longest tie-break of the day was played by Antoni Szary and fifth seed Marco Meacci. The Pole won it 11–9 to take the opening set, but the Italian then took control and closed out the match by winning the next two sets 6–3, 6–3.
NO MORE SUPER TIE-BREAKS
The singles format changed with the start of the main draw. Unlike in qualifying, when the score reaches one set all, the players now contest a full third set rather than a ten-point super tie-break. That happened eight times on the opening day of the main draw. Eight of the 32 matches were decided in a third set — four in the boys’ competition and four in the girls’ draw.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Thursday will feature the second round of singles and the beginning of the doubles competition. Singles matches start at 9:00 AM on all six courts, with doubles entering the schedule from 11:00 AM.
Polish players will be in action throughout the day. Jan Skrzyński faces Nikolai Shibani in the first match on Court 3, Jakub Jędryka meets Sweden’s Alexander Chmielewski on Court 4, and Wiktor Jeż plays Nikolaos Papavasiliu on Court 2. Michał Pielat will face seventh-seeded Belgian Nicolas Fayse, while Alicja Szweda takes on the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Sara Oliveriusova. Anna Idaszewska plays Slovakia’s Diana Petrasova, Anna Skorupska meets Czech Elly Meszarosova, and Daria Dehmel faces Katerina Filipova.
In the boys’ doubles, Wiktor Jeż will partner Jan Skrzyński, while Michał Pielat will play alongside Jerzy Filip Urban. In the girls’ doubles, Daria Dehmel and Alicja Szweda begin against top seeds Caroline Hermanns and Anna-Adelina Nykyforuk, while Kaja Góra and Anna Idaszewska face Natalie Irahol and Elly Meszarosova.
The complete order of play is available in the Order of play section. The singles draws can be found under Boys’ Draw and Girls’ Draw. with the doubles draws available under Boys’ Draw and Girls’ Draw..
