Valentin Vacherot says there was a ‘really weird’ moment in his match with Novak Djokovic

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Valentin Vacherot is set to play his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, in the final of the Shanghai Masters after both stars came through their semifinal clashes.

Vacherot clinched the biggest win of his career against Novak Djokovic, besting the Serb in straight sets to become the lowest-ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final in history.

The Monegasque world number 204, who came through qualifying in Shanghai, won 6-3, 6-4 against Djokovic, who struggled physically over the course of the match and received medical treatment a number of times.

During their bout, Vacherot says there was a ‘really weird’ moment, where the tension ‘rose’.

Valentin Vacherot reacts to his win against Novak Djokovic

“There were a few tight moments,” he said in his post-match press conference. “He started really well and broke me straight away. I got to break back, playing two good games.

“I was really surprised, as I said, how I managed to just start the match, even mentally. He helped me a little bit with the break in the first set. He didn’t play a great game.

“We played three really physical games before, and I think that got a little bit on him. Yeah, I got to close the first set way easier than how I closed the set in the second set.

“The beginning of the second set was really weird. We had long points on his serve to start. The tension really, really rose.

“I feel like he started to just, he managed to move me more in the second set. He had to. I feel like he had to, to get some mistake off me.

“I got a little bit defensive at the beginning of the second set. What is good is that I got to change that towards the end of the set.

“The last game, I’m not going to lie, my hands were shaking a little bit. He made all the returns he needed to make when he was on the ball.”

Valentin Vacherot reacts to cracking the world’s top 60

Following the conclusion of the Shanghai Masters, Vacherot will be ranked 58th in the world; a career high.

“It feels really good,” he said of the feat.

“I would have been happy finishing just 99 or 100. Thinking now that I’m going to be at least 58, yeah, I need to realise a little bit. But it’s good.

“Now I’m just going to get to play all the biggest tournaments in the world, so really happy for that, yeah.”

Vacherot has never played Rinderknech at a tour-level event before, and will do so for the first time in a Masters final, with both players looking to secure a maiden ATP title.