Memorial of Wagner: Poland - Russia 0:3

Poland lost with Russia 0:3 (22:25, 16:25, 19:25) on the last day match of the IX Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner, in Katowice. The tournament ended up on Sunday with victory of Italy over the Czech Republic, with result 3:1 (27:25, 38:35, 23:25, 25:21). Earlier they defeated Russia 3:2, as well as Poland 3:1.

The beginning of the match has been very successful for the polish players, who led 5:1. The team of Andrea Anastasi played hard and with full commitment. The opening of the white-and-reds was excellent, the best in the tournament.

Nevertheless Russia kept on fighting and at the first technical break they were only missing two points 6:8. After some time Anastasi’s team got the result (15:13) and maintained the advantage of points over this year’s World League winners. However, when the server Aleksander Wołkow took his position, Russia reached the tie (15:15). The second break finished with only one point advantage of the white-and-reds, what was the result of a successive attack from the middle position of Nowakowski (16:15). The opening match was soon (17:17), but gradually the visitors strengthened the advantage. Till the very end the did not allow to get the victory of their hands and won the set (25:22). The final word was on the side of the middle position player, Wołkow, who has sent the service ace on the side of the European Champion. Serves in the first set were a strong element of Russian team, thanks to what they could maintain predominance.

In the second set Poland led 2:1 and soon it was 7:2 for the rivals. Such a change of the situation on court resulted from amazing serves of Maksim Michajłow. After his balls Poles could not perform an effective attack. Playing his serves, the Russian spiker performed two aces out of five. After a first technical break the visitors have shown perfection in every element of their game, especially the block. At the second technical break they led (16:10) and remained on top till the end of the set. The last point was won by Chtiej, who finished the set with result (25:16). Another strong Russian player with whom Poles had problems was Aleksander Wołkow and his forceful serves.

The third set the white-and-reds have begun in a slightly changed composition. The position of spiker from the beginning was taken by Jakub Jarosz, who replaced Piotr Gruszka, and Grzegorz Kosok was replaced by Marcin Możdżonek. Point-for-point battle led to result (4:4). After the attack of Wołkow from the middle position Russia began to build its advantage and soon the score was (8:5). In further part of the match the white-and-reds could not find an effective recipe for Russians, therefore at the second technical break they were losing (14:16). At the end of the third set the Russian team was definitely better. Russia won 25:19 leaving no illusions about who was better today. The key to success of Russia was a very strong serve so that Poland could not manage to handle it.

Poland: Żygadło, Gruszka, Kosok, Nowakowski, Kurek, Kubiak, Ignaczak (l) and Możdżonek, Jarosz.
Russia: Butko, Michajłow, Apalikow, Wołkow, Chtiej, Biriukow, Sokołow (l) and Komarow, Ilnych, Grankin.