MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 19 (UPI) -- Moise Kouame unlocked his phone screen Thursday and read just one message after the biggest win of his career. His mind froze and he was smothered by nerves when thinking of how to respond to the congratulatory words from Novak Djokovic, his tennis idol.
The Frenchman, fresh off his 17th birthday, will have plenty of time to think of the perfect response. But first, he'll shift his focus onto how to follow the exploits of his ATP Masters 1000 main-draw debut, a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over No. 96 Zachary Svajda of the United States in Miami Gardens, Fla.
With the Round of 128 Miami Open victory, Kouame also became the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 match since 2003, when a 16-year-old Rafael Nadal won in his Masters debut.
"I want to do something even bigger," Kouame, a wildcard entrant, said at his post-match news conference. "I want to win the title, of course. But this will come only if I keep working mentally and physically. But this is the first step. So, I'm quite happy."
Kouame, who turned 17 on March 6, edged his first-round foe 11-9 in aces and saved 10 of the dozen break points he faced. He also converted 3 of 4 break point chances. He logged 32 errors, compared to Svajda's 48.
