Moise Kouame defeated Lorenzo Sonego for his fourth ATP win of the season.
Chris OddoOctober 19, 20262 minute read
Moise Kouame continues to play like he’ll be a big part of France’s next generation.
The 17-year-old World No. 194 earned a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory over Lorenzo Sonego on Monday at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in Lyon, setting up a second-round clash with another Lorenzo – Musetti.
Kouame, who wowed fans with a run to the third round at Roland Garros this spring, becoming the youngest man to win a first-round match on the Parisian clay since 1991 and the youngest man to win a match at any major since 2009, earned his fourth tour-level victory of the season.
He was buoyed by the home crowd at the LDLC Arena.
“Ah man, every time I play in France, I feel like it’s crazy,” the smiling teen told the crowd after a job well done. “I just, I can beat everybody, and this is because of you guys. Thanks to you, I can play amazing. Thanks for your support.”
Kouame never let his focus dip in the physical encounter. He became the third-youngest player to win a match at the event, which was formerly held in Marseille, though he was not quite as young as his coach, Richard Gasquet, who won a match in 2003 at the age of 16.
“I think the key was to stay calm, as calm as possible,” Kouame said. “I was really trying to focus on what I had to do to save these break points, and it worked, so I’m really happy about that.”
Felix Balshaw, 20, also kept the home fans happy on Monday. He defeated Jaime Faria 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 for his first ATP Tour victory.
“I have no words,” Balshaw, ranked No. 186, said in his on-court interview.
In other action, sixth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won for the first time since the US Open, taking out compatriot Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-1.
