Young tennis prodigy, Moise Kouame, is creating a storm in the professional tennis circuit at the tender age of 15. Kouame, born in 2009, is one of only four players of his age group to feature on the ATP ranking list. What sets him apart? He’s the sole player to have garnered more than one ATP point, having earned two at the Brest Challenger last year when he made it past the first qualifying round.
Kouame didn’t just stop at making a name for himself. The young French sensation carved a niche in the annals of tennis history by becoming the first player born in 2009 to reach the quarter-final stage at a professional event, the M15 Sharm El Sheikh Futures. Riding on his junior ranking, Kouame stormed into the draw, besting two opponents to reach the last eight.
In his debut match at the event, Kouame squared off against Egypt’s Akram El Sallaly. Displaying an impressive command over the game, Kouame clinched a 6-2, 6-2 victory in a swift 68 minutes. With no break points against him and four return games from nine chances, Kouame dictated the pace of the game, marking his first professional victory.
Not all games were a walk in the park for Kouame, however. The second round saw him pitted against Federico Bondioli in a grueling match lasting two hours and 42 minutes. The tie proved to be a true test of Kouame’s grit, with the young star triumphing 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, an achievement that marked the first professional quarter-final for players of his generation.
During the match, Kouame proved his mettle by defending ten out of 12 break points and securing four breaks from five chances. The first set saw an exchange of early breaks, leading to a tie break where Kouame prevailed 8-6.
The second set was a neck and neck race, with Bondioli clinching it 7-5 in the tie break. Despite the setback, Kouame bounced back in the decider, claiming it 6-1 to secure his spot in the last eight. His next challenge was against the towering server, Martin Damm.
The American player managed to edge past Kouame 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 in a closely contested match that lasted two hours and 33 minutes, bringing an end to Kouame’s impressive run. The encounter saw the players unleash 32 aces, with Damm barely scraping past, tallying only two points more than Kouame.
Damm managed to ward off all four break points and secured two breaks from 11 chances to claim victory. Kouame put up a tough fight, serving well in the first five service games. However, he conceded three game points at 5-6 and lost on the fifth set point, shifting the momentum in Damm’s favor.
Despite the loss, Kouame demonstrated his never-say-die attitude, fending off two set points at 5-6 and notching up three straight points at 4-4 to win the set and push the match into a decider. Despite Damm securing an early break in the first game and saving two break points in the second to lead 2-0, Kouame didn’t let up. However, Damm sealed the match with a solid hold at 5-4, concluding Kouame’s laudable campaign.
This young Frenchman’s exceptional performance at the tender age of 15 is a clear indication that he’s a rising star in professional tennis, and we can expect to see many more stellar performances from him in the future.