15-year-old Moise Kouame is making a name for himself! The young gun is one of the fourplayers born in 2009 on the ATP ranking list, and the only with more than one ATP point. He earned two points at last year's Brest Challenger after passing the first qualifying round.
Moise wrote history at this week's M15 Sharm El Sheikh Futures, becoming the first player born in 2009 with the quarter-final at the professional event! Kouame entered the draw with his junior ranking and bested two rivals en route to the last eight.
The 15-year-old kicked off the action against Egypt's Akram El Sallalyand scored a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 68 minutes. Moise faced no break points and provided four return games from nine opportunities to control the scoreboard and deliver his first Futures victory.
A teenager had to work hard in the second round versus Federico Bondioli. Kouame prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 in two hours and 42 minutes, turning the tables in the decider and notching the first professional quarter-final for his generation.
The 15-year-old denied ten of 12 break points and provided four breaks from five opportunities to emerge at the top. They traded early breaks in the opening set and provided two more return games at 3-3. The set went into a tie break, and the young Frenchman prevailed 8-6.
They stayed neck and neck in the second set. Bondioli clinched it 7-5 in the tie break to force a decider and extend his chances. However, Moise made a fresh start and claimed it 6-1 to book a place in the last eight. The Frenchman faced the giant server, Martin Damm.
The American prevailed 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 in two hours and 33 minutes, ending the 15-year-old's valiant campaign. They fired 32 aces and stayed close to each other from start to finish, with Damm taking two points more than Kouame!
Martin denied all four break points and provided two breaks from 11 opportunities to emerge at the top. Kouame served well in the opening five service games. He squandered three game points at 5-6 and fell on the fifth set point to push his rival in front.
The 15-year-old missed two break chances in the ninth game of the second set and denied two set points at 5-6 to introduce a tie break. Moise grabbed three straight points at 4-4 to wrap up the set and force a decider.
Damm grabbed a break in the first game and saved two break points in the second for 2-0. They served well in the upcoming games, and the American sealed the deal with a fine hold at 5-4, ending the 15-year-old's campaign.
