Phenomenal Valentin Vacherot Master in Shanghai, makes Monegasque history
Valentin Vacherot beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final of the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters © screenshot Tennis TV - ATP Tour
Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, ranked 204th in the world, made tennis history by winning the Shanghai Masters 1000 on Sunday, the lowest-ranked player in history to win a tournament of this calibre.
Monegasque Valentin Vacherot’s epic run at the ATP 1000 Shanghai played out at the weekend, as he put in an extraordinary performance to beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the tournament final. Back in Monaco, like the fans who had gathered to watch the match together at the Monte-Carlo Country club – where the Monegasque champion trained – the exploit took Prince Albert II’s breath away. “It’s simply breathtaking, I can’t find an adjective to describe it,” he told Monaco Info.
Trophy in hand after an epic duel that will go down in the annals, an emotional Valentin Vacherot said: “Someone has to lose, but I think there are two winners today, a family that has won.” Vacherot had to turn things around after losing the first set (4-6) against his French cousin Arthur Rinderknech, and pulled off a real tour de force to take the next two sets. Vacherot ended on match point with a blistering forehand down the line, after which both men broke done in tears. Final score: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
An XXL tournament
To get there, the 26-year-old had to fight his way through the qualifying rounds, defeating current tour talents Laslo Djere, Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac and then Tallon Griekspoor in the last 16 to become the first Monegasque to reach the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000.
What happened next was even more spectacular. Vacherot toppled Holger Rune (2-6, 7-6, 6-4) after an epic battle that lasted a minute short of 3 hours. Then in the semi-final, an unbelievable scenario: a straight sets victory over four-time defending champion Novak Djokovic (6-3, 6-4), watched by Mélanie-Antoinette De Massy, President of the Monegasque Tennis Federation.
The first Monegasque to win a major ATP title, Vacherot leapt to 40th in the world rankings and pocketed $1.1 million, doubling his career earnings in the process.