PARIS – The French Open witnessed a dramatic day of surprises on Tuesday as former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev crashed out in the opening round, while teenage French sensation Moise Kouame produced a historic breakthrough victory at Roland Garros.
In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, Australia’s Adam Walton stunned sixth seed Medvedev in a thrilling five-set battle, winning 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 on the Paris clay. The defeat continued Medvedev’s struggles at Roland Garros, where he has now suffered first-round exits in six of his last nine appearances. Despite flashes of brilliance, the Russian star once again failed to find consistency on the slow clay surface.
Walton, ranked 97th in the world and playing as a wildcard entrant, displayed remarkable composure throughout the rollercoaster contest. After dominating the opening set, he watched Medvedev respond strongly in the second before momentum continued to swing dramatically between the two players.
The decisive fifth set produced the most gripping moments of the match. Walton recovered from a break down at 4-4 before holding serve confidently and breaking Medvedev again to seal the biggest victory of his career and his first win over a top-10 player. “It’s huge,” Walton said after the match. “I knew I could do it and I believed in myself. I’m really proud of my effort in the fifth set.” The 27-year-old Australian will next face American Zachary Svajda in the second round.
Earlier, French teenager Moise Kouame announced himself on the Grand Slam stage in spectacular fashion by defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 to become the youngest male player in 17 years to win a Grand Slam main-draw match. The 17-year-old wildcard played fearlessly on his Roland Garros debut, producing exceptional defensive speed, confident shot-making and delicate drop shots to overpower the vastly experienced Cilic, who is 20 years older than him. Ranked 318th in the world, Kouame saved two set points in a tense opening-set tiebreak before taking complete control of the contest. Remarkably, he did not concede a single break of serve during the entire match. At 17 years and two months old, Kouame became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match since Australia’s Bernard Tomic achieved the feat at the 2009 Australian Open.
“It’s exceptional and very emotional,” Kouame said. “I tried to stay focused on every point and not think too much about the score.”
Coached by former French star Richard Gasquet, Kouame will next face Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo as his dream run at Roland Garros continues.
