Valentin Vacherot stunned the tennis world on Saturday, knocking out four-time Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
The 26-year-old Monegasque, ranked No. 204, defeated Djokovic 6-3, 6-4, becoming the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history since 1990. Vacherot stayed calm and focused, taking full advantage of Djokovic’s back troubles, which forced the Serb to see the physio twice in the opening set.
Vacherot served impressively, winning 78% of points on his first serve, and struck 23 winners compared to Djokovic’s nine. Even when facing a break point in the final game, he held his nerve to close out the match, sharing a respectful embrace with Djokovic at the net.
The win follows Vacherot’s quarter-final victory over Holger Rune, which ensured he will break into the Top 100 for the first time. After his Shanghai run, he has jumped 146 spots to No. 58 in the ATP rankings. He is only the sixth player this century to reach their first ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000, and the first since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Monte-Carlo 2022.
Looking ahead, Vacherot will face either his cousin Arthur Rinderknech or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final. Despite Djokovic appearing to move better in the second set, Vacherot stayed solid on both wings and seized the crucial moments on return to secure a historic victory.
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