Paris, May 28 (IANS) France’s Moise Kouame continued to thrive at the home Grand Slam as the newest tennis sensation in his country at the French Open, surging into the third round with a five-set victory, joining Rafael Nadal in a milestone achieved in 2003.

The 17-year-old Frenchman, playing in his first major tournament, defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) with a vociferous crowd at Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Kouame became the youngest man to reach the third round of a major since Nadal at Wimbledon in 2003 with his four-hour, 56-minute victory.

“Winning Roland Garros is, of course, a dream,” Kouame said with a smile. “Being World No. 1 is also a dream… I think thinking about winning the tournament is a bit early, but I’m really happy to be in the third round, and I’m going to try my best to win another match.”

Kouame’s breakthrough run has added another layer to the teenage storyline unfolding at this year’s clay-court major. Alongside Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca, both 19, Kouame completed the first trio of teenagers to reach the third round at a major since 2006, when 19-year-olds Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Gael Monfils achieved the feat.

Kouame had announced his arrival with an opening-round victory over 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, while his second-round display underlined his growing stature. Vallejo, the World No. 71, arrived in Paris having won nine of his previous 12 matches across all levels, including a run to the third round at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid last month.

Yet Kouame stole the spotlight with his athleticism and shotmaking. The Frenchman claimed his third tour-level victory — all against Top-100 opponents — while producing flashes of brilliance throughout the match. In the opening set, he pulled off a disguised forehand flick before showcasing exceptional defence and court coverage during several lung-busting rallies.

Vallejo, competing in his first major main draw, rallied from two sets down and surged to a 5-2 lead in the deciding set. The Paraguayan was one game from becoming the first man from his country to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since Ramon Delgado at the 2002 US Open.

But Kouame rode the support of the crowd to a thrilling fifth-set triumph. The home favourite hit 67 winners in the match and converted six of the 13 break points he faced, according to Infosys Stats. With his run, Kouame is now up 108 places to No. 210 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The Frenchman will face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.

–IANS

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