A TENNIS star breached protocol by walking on to the court after another match – to hug his cousin.
Because the unlikely unseeded duo will face off in the Shanghai Masters final.
Valentin Vacherot will play his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the Shanghai Masters final[/caption]
Daniil Medvedev ranted at the umpire as he was knocked out[/caption]
Vacherot celebrated Rinderknech’s win with his girlfriend Emily Snyder[/caption]
In the first semi-final, world No204 Valentin Vacherot stunned Novak Djokovic to became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 finalist ever.
And in an incredible twist, he then watched his cousin Arthur Rinderknech dump out Daniil Medvedev to set up the family affair final.
Neither player had even reached a Masters 1000 quarter-final before – the level below the four tennis Grand Slams.
But now they will step on to court for their remarkable Shanghai showdown.
Vacherot, 26, freshened up after the win of his life over the 24-time Major winner to watch Rinderknech alongside his girlfriend Emily Snyder.
Rinderknech, 30, collapsed on the court to celebrate his victory as hothead Medvedev – who double-faulted on match point – got into yet another angry row with the chair umpire.
But once the former US Open champion departed at the end of his furious rant, a gobsmacked Vacherot waited patiently by the side of the court.
He then got the nod to enter the court – usually off limits for anyone not involved in the match – to share the special moment with his relative.
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Vacherot – who represents Monaco – and Frenchman Rinderknech enjoyed a lovely warm hug as they soaked in their incredible achievement.
Rinderknech took to social media after confirming the shock final line-up, posting a throwback photo to the cousins as kids and wrote: “Puissance [Power] 1000, ” followed by a kissing emoji.
He said on court: “In the best dreams, we couldn’t have dreamt about this, so I can’t even say it’s a dream, because I don’t think even one person in our family dreamt about it.
“So it wasn’t a dream, it’s just a dream that came out of nowhere. We started believing it, I would say, in the quarters, maybe…
“Now we are here, we fought through so many matches and somehow we are the [two] guys standing at the end, so it’s just incredible.”
The pair played college tennis together at Texas A&M University but while Rinderknech has a career-high ranking of 42nd, Vacherot has never been inside the top 100 and only played one Grand Slam match.
He did not even get into the Shanghai Masters main draw or qualifying – but got in as a late entry as an alternate.
Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
- My dad is one of the greatest tennis players ever… but he’s not my idol
- My mum won US Open aged 16 then Wimbledon… but you won’t know it from my surname
- My Czech dad won Australian Open and my sisters are elite golfers… but I’m playing for different country
- My millionaire dad played with Federer… but I’ve reached three Grand Slam finals
- My dad earned £1m and got to French Open final… but I’ve already surpassed his career
- My record-breaking dad is in tennis Hall of Fame and won Wimbledon… but I’m aiming to emulate his achievements
And he produced a nerveless performance to dump out four-time winner and all-time great Djokovic, who was struggling physically.
Vacherot said: “I’m trying to pinch myself, is this real?
“I’m not realising [what’s happened], so I can’t give any words on it.
“This is just crazy. First of all, to just be on the other side of the court [from Novak] was an unbelievable experience.
“It was an hour and 40 minutes of pure joy, even though not many people wanted me to keep going.
“He’s really appreciated here. He has won four times. I got a bit lost in all his titles when they were announcing him, but it was an unreal experience.
“Now I’m probably just going to enjoy the win tonight and think about the final tomorrow.”
Rinderknech posted an incredible throwback photo of them as kids[/caption]
Vacherot stunned Novak Djokovic in the first semi-final[/caption]
He could barely believe his achievement[/caption]
He showered before heading back out to watch his cousin[/caption]
Neither Rinderknech nor his relative had reached a Masters quarter-final before[/caption]
Vacherot was allowed on court to share the moment with Rinderknech[/caption]
It promises to be an emotional final between the pair[/caption]
