From the very first hours, it was clear that the road to the main draw would not be easy. A total of 24 players took to Centre Court and courts 12 and 13 to play the first round of qualifying.
Polish Emotions on Centre Court
Fans in Kozerki had the chance to watch four Polish representatives in action. Kacper Szymkowiak put up a tough fight against fourth seed Ergi Kirkin. The outcome of the second set was decided by a tie-break, with the Turkish player winning 6:4, 7:6(1).
Aleksander Błuś faced the experienced Mirza Bašić. The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina won the match 6:3, 6:2.
The match between Alan Bojarski and Aziz Dougaz brought plenty of excitement. The Pole responded to losing the first set by winning the second in a tie-break. Ultimately, Dougaz prevailed 6:2, 6:7(3), 6:1.
Oscar Weightman and Adam Majchrzak also needed three sets to decide their match. After losing the first set, Adam fought back to win the second 6:3. However, in the deciding set, the Brit was more effective and won 6:3, 3:6, 6:1.
This is not the end of Adam and Alan’s appearances at the Mazovia Open. Both will return to the court in the doubles tournament, where they will team up as a pair.
Comebacks, Three Sets, and Fighting for Every Point
One of the most hard-fought matches of the day was played by Alexander Donski and Kenny De Schepper. The Frenchman started the match confidently, but Donski turned things around and, after more than two hours, won 2:6, 6:4, 7:6(4).
Oskari Paldanius also staged an impressive comeback. The young Finn lost the first set to seventh seed Leo Raquillet, didn’t drop a single game in the second, and took the deciding set 7:5. The final score was 3:6, 6:0, 7:5.
Jiri Cizek and eighth seed Melios Efstathiou also played a three-set battle. Cizek won 6:4, 2:6, 6:3 to book his place in the final round of qualifying.
Top seed Ilya Ivashka started the tournament very confidently, defeating Melvin Kumar 6:2, 6:1.
First Round Qualifying Results
Ilya Ivashka - Melvin Kumar 6:2, 6:1 Alexander Donski - Kenny De Schepper 2:6, 6:4, 7:6(4) Dimitris Sakellaridis - Younes Lalami 6:4, 6:3 Ergi Kirkin - Kacper Szymkowiak 6:4, 7:6(1) Mirza Bašić - Aleksander Błuś 6:3, 6:2 S D Prajwal Dev - Alex De Gabriele 6:2, 7:6(2) Oskari Paldanius - Leo Raquillet 3:6, 6:0, 7:5 Jiri Cizek - Melios Efstathiou 6:4, 2:6, 6:3 Amit Vales - Kristjan Tamm 6:4, 6:2 Aziz Dougaz - Alan Bojarski 6:2, 6:7(3), 6:1 Oscar Weightman - Adam Majchrzak 6:3, 3:6, 6:1 Nitin Kumar Sinha - Edison Ambarzumjan 6:4, 7:6(2)
We Play On
On Monday, we will find out which six players will secure a spot in the main draw. The first matches will begin at 11:00 a.m.
That day will also see the start of main draw action. Not before 4:00 p.m. on Centre Court, Tomasz Berkieta will face Facundo Mena. Time to get the Polish cheering going again.
A reminder: until Thursday, August 6th inclusive, matches from the Main Stand can be watched free of charge. See you in Kozerki—the tournament is just getting started!
