SZCZECIN/STARNBERG, September 9, 2025
On Tuesday afternoon, tennis fans at the Invest In Szczecin Open were treated to a day of exciting matches featuring Polish players and last year’s finalists. First up, Daniel Michalski faced No. 1 seed Vit Kopriva, followed by Andrea Pellegrino taking on wild card entry Mateusz Lange.
Draws at the Szczecin Open have rarely been kind to Michalski. In recent years, he was handed tough early-round matches against top-seeded players — in 2022 against Roberto Carballes Baena, and two years later against Daniel Altmaier. This year proved no different, as the Pole was drawn against Kopriva, the defending champion.
The 28-year-old Czech, currently ranked World No. 88, had just faced World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the opening round of the US Open a fortnight ago. On Tuesday, Kopriva overcame Michalski 6-4, 7-5 on Center Court to secure his place in the second round.
Eyes on the prize
Defending champion Vit Kopriva fends of home hope Daniel Michalski 6-4, 7-5#ATPChallenger | @SzczecinOpen pic.twitter.com/YUe80RJjD4
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 9, 2025
“The start was terrible from my side, but later I found my rhythm,” Michalski reflected after the match. “I didn’t feel like I was playing badly, but Vitek played very smart tennis. At first glance, it doesn’t look like he’s hitting with much pace or applying huge pressure, but on court you feel that every ball has weight.”
Michalski had opportunities in both sets. In the first, he nearly broke back, while in the second he led 5-2 and even held set points before Kopriva reeled off five games in a row to clinch victory.
Despite the defeat, the Warsaw native was grateful for the strong support: “I really want to thank the fans. A lot of people came, and it was great to play in Poland. It’s a pity I couldn’t win, but I hope the match was at least enjoyable to watch.”
The day’s feature match saw last year’s finalist Andrea Pellegrino face 19-year-old Polish wildcard Mateusz Lange. Nerves got the better of Lange early on as he lost the first set 6-0, but he settled into the match in the second, even breaking the Italian to lead 4-2. Pellegrino, however, used his experience to rally back and secure a 6-0, 7-5 win in straight sets.
“I’m happy the match didn’t end too quickly and that the fans got to enjoy some excitement,” Lange said. “After the first set the pressure eased, I started to play more freely. It’s a pity I couldn’t take it to a third set, but maybe next time I’ll manage it.”
The young Pole, who trains with Tomasz Berkieta, said that helped him keep pace: “That really helped me. Pellegrino is more experienced, but practicing with Tomek has improved me a lot. Overall, this was a completely new experience for me — playing in Szczecin, in such a big venue, in the evening match of the day, with so many fans. It was a huge moment for me. I’m very grateful to the crowd for staying with me despite the tough start.”
