Kouame, 17, saves every break point to beat Sonego and reach Lyon last 16, Musetti next

French teenager Moise Kouame saved all five break points he faced to beat Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Monday evening and reach the last 16 of the Lyon ATP 250.

The 17-year-old wildcard is ranked No. 194, and this was his first main-draw match in Lyon. It was the fourth tour-level win of his career and his first since his run to the third round of Roland-Garros earlier this season.

Kouame will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, the No. 6 seed, in the second round.

With the win, Kouame became the third-youngest man to win a match in the tournament’s history, which was held in Marseille from 1993 to 2025. Only Richard Gasquet, 16, in 2003 and Roger Federer, 17, in 1999 were younger.

Gasquet, now his coach, already shared a record with him: Kouame’s back-to-back ITF titles at Hazebrouck and Bressuire in January made him the youngest Frenchman to win a professional title since Gasquet took the Sarajevo Challenger at 16 in 2003.

Sonego unravels in the first-set tiebreak

Sonego, ranked No. 89 and a four-time ATP Tour title winner, looked the more dangerous player through most of the opening set, winning 22 of 27 points behind his first serve. Kouame saved two break points at 5-5. The Italian then lost only three points across his last three service games on his way to the tiebreak.

There, Sonego tightened up. He made five unforced errors in the tiebreak, 14 in the set, and Kouame took it 7-2.

Kouame takes control at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Sonego came straight back in the second set and earned two more break points while leading 2-1. Kouame saved both. From there the Italian grew increasingly nervous against an opponent playing without inhibition. Kouame broke for 4-3, held from deuce twice for 5-3 and converted his first match point.