Valentin Vacherot has made history for Monaco, becoming the first Monegasque player ever to reach an ATP Tour quarter-final after a stunning run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters…
Ranked World No. 204 going into the tournament, the 26-year-old qualifier battled past 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 in a dramatic two-hour, 22-minute showdown that finished just before 1 a.m. local time.
The emotional victory marked his third consecutive win over a seeded opponent, having already toppled 14th seed Alexander Bublik and 20th seed Tomas Machac earlier in the week. His fearless, aggressive game saw him fire 40 winners against Griekspoor, cementing his place as the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist in Shanghai history.
Speaking courtside, Vacherot admitted he had barely processed the scale of his achievement. “It means everything,” he said. “After all the tough moments last year, to share this with my coach, my brother and my girlfriend, it’s unbelievable.”
His reward is a clash with tenth seed Holger Rune, though Vacherot confessed he hadn’t even checked the draw. His remarkable surge has already propelled him to World No. 130 in the live rankings, a career high. Monaco now has a new sporting trailblazer; and his fairytale run isn’t over yet.
Image: Tennis 365
