French teenager Kouame wins five-set thriller at Roland Garros to make history

[p]The 17-year-old wildcard survived a comeback from Paraguay's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vallejo-daniel/U5RiWEZu/"]Adolfo Daniel Vallejo[/a] to claim a remarkable [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mohama-k-zylrzjzh/vallejo-d-U5RiWEZu/?mid=dS0Y6eWo"]6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8)[/a] win after four hours and 56 minutes on a raucous, and boiling hot, Court Suzanne Lenglen.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kouame-moise/zylrzjzh/"]Kouame[/a] is the youngest man to reach the last 32 of a major since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nadal-rafael/xUwlUnRK/"]Nadal[/a] at Wimbledon in 2003.[/p][p][b]"Frankly, without you, I would never have won this match, never,"[/b] Kouame told the crowd in his on-court interview.[/p][embed guid="9b69c03a-61e7-4240-a07a-0542a1152296" url="https://x.com/OptaAce/status/2059999542238458139" social-type="twitter" /][p]After wins for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jodar-rafael/OdngshVK/"]Rafael Jodar[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a] on Wednesday, it is the first time three teenagers have made the third round of the men's singles at Roland Garros since Nadal, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-gael/fm7G8o0m/"]Gael Monfils[/a] in 2006.[/p][p][b]Kouame had already become the youngest man to win a Slam match in 17 years with his first-round success against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cilic-marin/nLoK5syL/"]Marin Cilic[/a].[/b][/p][p]The Grand Slam debutant powered into a two-set lead to the delight of the French fans but then started to wilt in the baking heat.[/p][p]But Kouame somehow dragged himself back from the brink of defeat when Vallejo was serving for the match at 5-3 in the fifth, before completing a memorable win in a thrilling tie-break.[/p]