The real surprise here was that it took so long to come. Moïse Kouamé had expertly handled his nerves and high expectations to begin his first French Open main draw match on the front foot, had demonstrated his enormous promise by playing so well, and had paired his form with total self-assurance. Finally, with the 17-year-old up two sets to love and on his way to a perfect start, his 5,000-strong audience responded with an impromptu rendition of La Marseillaise.
Their crooning provided the soundtrack for one of the statement wins of the tournament as Kouamé, the latest young star to command France’s attention, underlined his massive promise by spectacularly closing out his first grand slam match with a 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 win over the former US Open champion Marin Cilic. Kouamé is the youngest player to win a men’s singles grand slam match since 2009 and the youngest at Roland Garros since 1991.
