SHANGHAI — Valentin Vacherot beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters for the primary title of his profession after a shocking run from the qualifying rounds.
The 204th-ranked Vacherot, an unheralded 26-year-old, was the lowest-ranked event winner in ATP Masters 1000 historical past — and the primary from the tiny Principality of Monaco.
It was fairly a efficiency too.
He surprised 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic within the semifinals to arrange a closing in opposition to the 30-year-old Rinderknech, who had downed four-time main finalist Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, in a exceptional semifinal of his personal.
Vacherot produced a serving masterclass within the third set, with three straight love holds and 15 consecutive factors earlier than lastly dropping a degree within the eighth sport with an unforced error.
Serving to remain within the match at 15-40 down, Rinderknech saved one match level, however Vacherot wrong-footed him with yet one more blistering forehand winner down the road to clinch victory.
He held his face in his fingers in disbelief earlier than strolling to the web to hug his cousin after which rushed to his staff field to share an extended hug with coach Benjamin Balleret, who’s his half-brother and a former tennis participant from Monaco.
Balleret’s profession spotlight was a defeat to tennis nice Roger Federer within the early rounds of the Monte Carlo Masters in 2006.
Nineteen years later, Federer was within the Shanghai crowd watching as Rinderknech clinched the primary set with an ace.
Vacherot secured an early break within the decider after which missed 4 break-point possibilities within the fifth sport as Rinderknech received a reprieve. The Frenchman instantly took a three-minute medical timeout for therapeutic massage therapy on his again and left shoulder.
However there was nothing he may do to cease his cousin’s momentum.
They by no means performed one another earlier than on the skilled tour, with Rinderknech profitable their solely assembly at a futures event in 2018.
