Fairy tale with a happy ending for Valentin Vacherot: triumphs in Shanghai by beating cousin Arthur Rinderknech

In the unexpected final of the Shanghai Masters 1000, Monegasque Valentin Vacherot, world number 204, who started from the qualifiers, triumphed in a comeback in two hours and 10 minutes of play, beating his cousin, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, number 54, with a score of 4-6 6-3 6-3.

A break decides the first set and it is obviously in favor of Rinderknech, who breaks serve from his cousin at 1-1. Same movie but roles reversed in the second partial: Vacherot breaches the transalpine at 4-3 in his favor.

The Monegasque immediately breaks in the first game of the third set, then has three more consecutive break points in the third and four more in the fifth, but Rinderknech cancels them all. In contrast, Vacherot loses only two points in four service turns and, at 5-3, with another break puts the seal on the match.

This completes the fairy tale of this semi-unknown Monegasque, who will turn 27 on November 16 and who had never reached a final on the ATP major circuit. Rinderknech, on the other hand, loses his second final in two, but tomorrow he will rise to his best ranking, 28, as will Vacherot, who climbs 164 positions installing himself at number 40.