In the second match of the first day of the prestigious Wagner Memorial, the hosts Poland gave Serbia no chance and won decisively 3:0 in front of their home crowd in Krakow. Thus, the 'white-reds' started their participation in the tournament excellently, and the big news was the return of Bartosz Kurek, who played his first official match of the season.
Before that, Argentina surprised Brazil and also won 3:0, which added extra value to the start of the competition.
Match progress
The start of the first set offered an even game (6:6), but Tomasz Fornal's serves and Szymon Jakubiszak's solid block allowed the Poles to pull ahead (10:6). However, the Serbs came back into the match with good actions in counter-attack and at the net (13:13). Wilfredo León again put the hosts ahead, and Kurek added an ace. The last point was scored by Norbert Huber – 25:20.
The second set was far more one-sided. Successful attacks by Fornal and Kurek, as well as a series of strong serves by Fornal, quickly built a lead (14:8). The Serbs' reception fell apart, and the difference became double-digit (22:11). The set concluded with another successful attack by Jakubiszak – 25:13.
The third set again started evenly, with Serbia even narrowing their deficit at 10:9. At that moment, the 'white-reds' mobilized again. Fornal and Kurek attacked effectively, but Aleksandar Stefanović brought back the intrigue (18:18). In the end, however, the hosts' experience prevailed – their block worked again, and León and Kurek were flawless in decisive moments. Poland closed the set at 25:22 and triumphed with a clean 3:0.
Result
Poland – Serbia 3:0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:22)
Lineups
| Poland | Points |
|---|---|
| Bartłomiej Komenda | 1 |
| Bartosz Kurek | 17 |
| Wilfredo León | 14 |
| Tomasz Fornal | 9 |
| Norbert Huber | 4 |
| Szymon Jakubiszak | 9 |
| Kacper Popiwczak (L) | - |
| Mateusz Sasak | 2 |
| Aleksander Szalpuk | - |
| Jan Firlej | - |
Bartosz Kurek was the top scorer for Poland with 17 points, showing that he is returning to excellent form. Leon and Fornal were also stable in attack, and Jakubiszak contributed not only with points but also with key blocks.
| Serbia | Points |
|---|---|
| Vuk Jovović | 1 |
| Aleksandar Luburić | 14 |
| Aleksandar Stefanović | 4 |
| Nikola Brborić | 9 |
| Nemanja Nedeljković | 9 |
| Dejan Masulović | 3 |
| Nemanja Negić (L) | - |
| Milan Nikolić | - |
| Dejan Kulpinac | - |
| Milan Vucicevic | - |
Luburic was the only one with a significant contribution for the Serbs (14 points). Reception problems and low attacking efficiency prevented Gheorghe Cretu's team from being competitive.
Poland started the Wagner Memorial in the best possible way - with a convincing victory and stable play. Bartosz Kurek's strong return and Leon's confidence give Nikola Grbic serious reasons for optimism before the decisive matches of the World Championship in the Philippines. Serbia, for its part, showed flashes, but the lack of consistency in key elements did not allow them to successfully resist.
photo: LUKASZ KALINOWSKI
