Moise Kouame of France secured a spot in the last 16 of the Lyon ATP 250 by defeating Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Monday evening. The 17-year-old, who received a wildcard for the tournament and is currently ranked No. 194, achieved his first main-draw victory in Lyon, marking the fourth tour-level win of his career.
Read More
This victory comes on the heels of Kouame's recent performance at Roland-Garros, where he reached the third round earlier this season. In the next round, he will face the No. 6 seed, Lorenzo Musetti from Italy.
With this win, Kouame becomes the third-youngest player in the history of the tournament to win a match. The only younger players to achieve this feat are Richard Gasquet, who won at 16 in 2003, and Roger Federer, who was 17 in 1999. Gasquet, now his coach, shares another record with Kouame; the young player became the youngest Frenchman to win a professional title since Gasquet when he claimed back-to-back ITF titles at Hazebrouck and Bressuire in January.
Despite Sonego's ranking of No. 89 and his status as a four-time ATP Tour title winner, he struggled during critical moments. Although he dominated the first set, winning 22 of 27 points on his first serve, he was unable to convert his advantage. Kouame saved two break points while Sonego was leading 5-5, and ultimately, Sonego faltered in the tiebreak, committing five unforced errors and losing it 7-2.
In the second set, Sonego initially earned two break points while ahead 2-1, but Kouame saved both, showcasing growing confidence. As the match progressed, Sonego's tension mounted, and Kouame broke serve for a 4-3 lead, eventually holding serve to close the match and secure the victory.