The dream continues for Valentin Vacherot.
An already epic saga at the Rolex Shanghai Masters added another chapter–the best one, by far–on Saturday afternoon, when Vacherot stunned Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals. The world No. 204 broke Djokovic three times in two sets while prevailing in one hour and 42 minutes.
Vacherot, 26, is the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history.
“I’m not realizing [what’s happened], so I can’t give any words on it,” Vacherot said. “This is just crazy. First of all, to just be on the other side of the court [from Novak] was an unbelievable experience. I think I’ve got so much to learn from this match, from him. Even for myself, I’ve got a lot to keep.
“It was an hour and 40 minutes of pure joy, even though not many people wanted me to keep going. He’s really appreciated here. He has won four times. I got a bit lost in all his titles when they were announcing him, but it was an unreal experience. Now I’m probably just going to enjoy the win tonight and think about the final tomorrow.”
It’s a Cinderella story of a final, too, as Vacherot’s opponent is not only a fellow underdog but also his first cousin–Arthur Rinderknech, ranked 54th. Rinderknech advanced later on Saturday by overcoming Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
nice one, Valentin