In Shanghai, the most unexpected final: Arthur Rinderknech challenges cousin Valentin Vacherot

All the big boys fell in the Masters 1000 on the Shanghai concrete, the last being, in the second semifinal, Russian Daniil Medvedev, former world No. 1 and now No. 18, beaten by Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, No. 54, with a score of 4-6 6-2 in two and a half hours of play.

A break decides the first set in Medvedev’s favor, at 1-1, then the Russian misses a ball for a second break at 4-2 and saves one in turn in the next game.

In the second set Rinderknech goes 3-0 up with a break and saving no less than five break points in the third game and one in the fifth, then at 5-2 he again takes the serve away from Medvedev, to boot.

It is always Rinderknech who has to save break points in the third set as well, one at 2-2 and two at 3-3, but then at 5-4 he makes the break and this gives him a historic final, because he will face his cousin, the Monegasque Valentin Vacherot, winner over Novak Djokovic.

Rinderknech, 30, has reached only one final on the ATP major circuit, to his cousin’s zero, losing it in 2022 on Adelaide’s concrete to Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. That year he also reached his best ranking, number 42.

A final, the one in Shanghai, that no one would have ever imagined, especially the two who will be protagonists tomorrow, who at the end of the second semifinal embraced each other, moved by the incredible achievement.