The 15-year-old Moise Kouame will become the first player born in 2009 on the ATP ranking list next Monday! The young Frenchman made his professional debut at last week's St. Brieuc Challenger, falling to Jules Marie in straight sets.
ADVERTISEMENT
Moise received a wild card for this week's Brest Open Groupe Vert Challenger qualifying draw and toppled Denis Yevseyev 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in an hour and 37 minutes. Thus, the young gun will debut on the ATP ranking list next Monday as the youngest competitor.
Yevseyev claimed one point more than a teenager, but not the crucial ones. Each player provided four breaks, and the Frenchman overcame a 3-1 deficit in the decider, rattling off five of the final six games en route to a notable victory.
The young gun grabbed an early break in the opener and settled into a fine rhythm. Kouame claimed an entertaining point at the beginning of the duel, forcing the rival's mistake and building an early advantage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Moise Kouame will enter the ATP ranking list next Monday.
The 15-year-old painted a forehand down the line winner, cementing the lead and holding at love two games later and moving 3-1 up.
Yevseyev served well after that early setback, landing a smash winner in the seventh game and reducing the deficit to 4-3. The Kazakh served to stay in the set in game nine and caused the Frenchman's error to extend the battle.
Moise served for the opener at 5-4 and faced the first break point. He denied it with an ace and wrapped up the set with another, opening a 6-4 lead after 31 minutes. Denis suffered an early break in the second set before turning the tables, rattling off six games and forcing a decider in style.
ADVERTISEMENT
Koumae welcomed the rival's loose forehand in the first game and denied a break point in the next one for a 6-4, 2-0 advantage. Yevseyev held at love in the third game and launched his comeback, earning three straight breaks and closing the set after a wild forehand from the young gun at 5-2, introducing a decider after an hour and five minutes.
The Kazakh served well early in the final set and clinched a break in the fourth game after the Frenchman's backhand mistake. Moise maintained his composure and launched his comeback with a forehand return winner in game five, pulling the break back and drawing the rival's mistake in the next one to lock the result at 3-3.
They served well in games seven and eight, and the 15-year-old made the decisive push on the return at 4-4. He created a break chance after a couple of thrilling volleys and converted it with a forced error, building a 5-4 lead and serving for the win.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kouame fired a forehand winner in the tenth game, holding at love and celebrating his first professional victory. A teenager failed to qualify for the main draw, falling to Alexey Vatutin 6-4, 6-2 in 68 minutes.
