Valentin Vacherot Surprises and Conquers the Shanghai Masters
In a feat that will be etched in tennis history, Valentin Vacherot, hailing from the Principality of Monaco, won the Shanghai Masters title. Vacherot, currently ranked 204th in the ATP rankings, achieved an epic victory after defeating his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
This triumph marks the first title of Vacherot’s professional career, who surprised everyone with his performance since the qualifying rounds.
Vacherot’s performance was impressive, especially in defeating Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, in the semifinals. This opened the doors for him to the final against Rinderknech, who, in turn, had defeated Daniil Medvedev in a memorable semifinal.
The third set was key for Vacherot, who demonstrated impeccable serving, stringing together three consecutive blank games and accumulating 15 points in a row. Although Rinderknech saved a match point, Vacherot secured the victory with a powerful forehand.
Visibly excited, Vacherot celebrated with his team and his coach, Benjamin Balleret, who is also his half-brother.
In the match, Rinderknech won the first set. Vacherot managed an early break in the decisive set, but couldn’t convert several break opportunities in the fifth game. Rinderknech requested a medical timeout, but couldn’t stop his cousin’s momentum.
This was the first match between the two on the professional circuit, with Rinderknech winning the only previous encounter in a futures tournament in 2018.
