History was made at the Shanghai Masters when two players ranked outside the top 50 clashed in the final.
ATP number 54 Arthur Rinderknech and his cousin, Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot, ranked 204th in the world, came through their respective semifinals against Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic to reach the title bout.
Vacherot ultimately triumphed over Rinderknech, surpassing Borna Coric’s record to become the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000 title.
The tournament delivered a heartwarming story, however, ATP star Karen Khachanov claims some may have found its conclusion ‘strange’.
Karen Khachanov reacts to the final of the Shanghai Masters
In an interview with ‘More!’, Khachanov said: “I think for tennis, for history, it’s a unique situation and it’s really cool that they’re cousins or distant cousins playing in a final.
“Who could have thought? There are not really stories like this. At some point, this kind of history is made, so from that perspective, it’s awesome.
“From the perspective of sponsors or people who looked at the Masters draw and expected top players in the final, it might seem a bit strange. But honestly, who could have predicted this final?
“At the same time, you can’t underestimate these players because if you look at who they beat, you’ll see they defeated all these top players. So you never know what your potential is, where your ceiling is.
“That’s what makes tennis so surprising and unique, a single match or a week can really vary, and results like this happen from time to time.
“For a Masters, such a big tournament, it’s true it doesn’t happen too often. It hasn’t happened in a long time, but they earned it 100% because in the end, you can’t judge those who play in the final.”
Valentin Vacherot has matched four major champions in Shanghai
With his victory over Rinderknech, Vacherot secured his first ATP title at a Masters event, becoming just the fifth player in history to do so.
The 26-year-old now has as many Masters crowns as four former Grand Slam champions.
He has matched the tallies of Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Juan Martin del Potro, and Marin Cilic, who have six major titles between them.
Vacherot also became the third qualifier to win a Masters tournament, following Roberto Carretero and Albert Portas.
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