Last July in Ostrava at the 2019 European Youth Championships, Anna Wegrzyn won the junior girls’ singles title, the first Polish player to achieve the distinction since the tournament was first staged in 1955 in Stuttgart.

Furthermore, Samuel Kulczycki and Katarzyna Wegrzyn became the first Polish pair to win mixed doubles gold at the prestigious tournament for almost 30 years; in 1990 in Hollabrunn, Piotr Szafranek and Anna Januszyk clinched gold in what was a very successful event for Poland, Piotr Nasplorkowski and Magdalena Staszak emerged bronze medallists.

Also we can add to the achievements that on the ITTF World Junior Circuit in 2018, Anna Wegrzyn won in Canada; more recently she was a quarter-finalist at the 2020 European Under 21 Championships. In addition, last year, at the Polish Junior and Cadet Open in Wladyslawowo,  Katarzyna was the runner up in Wladyslawowo.

Even better

Notable results which Samuel Kulczycki can arguably better; in 2018 he won the junior boys’ singles title at the Czech Junior and Cadet Open, before earlier this year repeating the success.

In Gliwice, in the men’s singles event, Samuel Kulczycki beat India’s Raegan Albuquerue (11-7, 11-9, 11-3) and Romania’s Alexandru Manole (11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10) to secure first place in his men’s singles group.

Similarly, in the under 21 men’s singles, the no.7 seed, once again he accounted Raegan Albuquerue who at the end of the third game withdrew injured (11-6, 11-2, 11-0). Later he ousted Belgium’s Olav Kosolosky (12-10, 12-14, 11-7, 11-6) to reserve his quarter-final place. Romania’s Cristian Chirita awaits.

Progress in style for Samuel Kulczycki, it was the same for Anna Wegrzyn; in the women’s singles event she beat Tatsiana Chakavaya (11-8, 11-8, 11-0) and colleague Natalia Szmczyk (11-6, 11-3, 11-3) to secure her main draw place where at the quarter-final stage she opposes Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes. Meanwhile, in the under 21 women’s singles competition, she ousted Slovakia’s Monika Urikova (11-3, 11-6, 11-4) to secure a last eight place.

Indirect route

The no.3 seed, Katarzyna Wegrzyn received a direct entry to the under 21 women’s singles main draw where she faces Japan’s Sakura Yokoi.

A direct route for Katarzyna Wegrzyn, in the women’s singles it was the indirect route. In her opening contest she experienced defeat in four games against Argentina’s Candela Molero (11-9, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6). Later she recovered to overcome Simona Horvathova, in straight games (11-6, 11-6, 11-9), the player who earlier had accounted for Candela Molero in straight games 12-10, 11-7, 11-9).

Thus games ratio determined the outcome. It was first place for Katarzyna Wegrzyn (4:3), followed by Simona Horvathova (3:3) and Candela Molero (3:4).

Main draw places secured; the respective men’s doubles and women’s doubles both pairs are seeded. In the women’s doubles Anna and Katarzyna Wegrzyn occupy the no.5 seeded spot, Samuel Kulczycki partners Maciej Kubik, the pair having a point to prove.

At the Czech Junior and Cadet Open in February, the top seeds, they experienced a surprise third round defeat at the hands of Hungary’s Oliver Both and Akos Kishegyi.