By reaching the second round of the Junior Championships, Wimbledon with victory over Cooper Williams of the United States, Ignacio Buse secured a slice of history for Peru.

Buse, who is ranked No. 14 in the junior world rankings, dispatched Williams 6-2 6-4 to advance from his first-round showdown and joins fellow countryman Gonzalo Bueno in the second round, where he will face Belgium’s Alexander Blockx.

While a number of Peruvians have reached the second round of the Junior Championships, with Jaime Yzaga the first to do so in 1985, it is the first time that two Peruvians have progressed from the first round in the same year.

“I am honoured to make history,” Buse told itftennis.com. “One of the main reasons I am so honoured is that young people in Peru can see us here, and I hope more Peruvians will be coming to Wimbledon in the coming years.

“I hope I can come back too as a professional. The atmosphere is incredible. The people appreciate good play and are very invested in the matches, which I didn’t feel quite as much at the other Grand Slams.

“It really is a dream to be here. To win my first match on grass is special. I have worked really hard to feel comfortable on grass and I did feel comfortable out there. I have made a lot of sacrifices over the years to be in position and it feels really good.

“I came with the objective to win the tournament. I think I can do that, but I will be taking it round by round and we will see how it goes.”

Prior to Roland Garros, Buse, whose uncle is world-renowned chef Gaston Acurio, and Bueno spoke at length with itftennis.com, while some of the people who have witnessed their development at close quarters also contributed.

Both Buse and Bueno spoke in glowing terms about Luis Horna, who reached a career-high No. 33 in 2004 and is the last Peruvian man to feature in the top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

Horna now works for Federacion Deportiva Peruana de Tenis, spearheading the development of emerging talent through his role as director of the national association’s junior programme.

The 41-year-old travelled with Buse and Bueno through JA Milan, J1 Charleroi-Marcinelle and the Roland Garros Junior Championships, and although he has now returned home, his influence remains.

“He gives me so much inspiration,” said Buse, who was a member of the ITF Junior Tennis Initiative – the 14-and-under development programme for a National Association, supported by the ITF – in Peru.

“Gonzalo and I see him as an idol. We see the way he trains us, and it is so good. He cares so much about us; he shows us a lot of interest because he wants us to be better than him.”

Whether Buse and Bueno attain such lofty heights, only time will tell. Perhaps the first step on that road would be matching the output of Horna – a former junior world No. 4 – at the Junior Championships where he reached the third round in 1997.

Ignacio and Gonzalo, over to you.