PARIS — Valentin Vacherot is on an unstoppable trajectory, securing his place in yet another Masters quarterfinal after defeating Cameron Norrie 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Thursday.
This month has been nothing short of miraculous for Vacherot, who soared from qualifiers to capture his first career title at the Shanghai Masters. Notably, he triumphed over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and claimed victory against his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, in the final showdown.
“It was beyond my expectations,” Vacherot expressed. “It’s fantastic to keep pushing here—I’m enjoying the matches even more than in Shanghai.”
Currently ranked 40th, the Monaco native once again overcame Rinderknech in the second round in Paris, setting the stage for his clash against Norrie, who had recently stunned top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz.
In his match against Norrie, Vacherot showcased his prowess with five aces and successfully defended all five break points, while Norrie surrendered his serve once.
Next up for Vacherot is a showdown with ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who rallied to defeat Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. This victory keeps Auger-Aliassime’s hopes alive for a spot in the esteemed season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
Fifth-seeded Ben Shelton overcame 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev 7-6 (6), 6-3, paving the way for a possible quarterfinal encounter with four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner.
As the day progressed, Sinner continued his pursuit to reclaim the No. 1 ranking by facing off against Francisco Cerundolo. The unseeded Argentine has triumphed in two of their five career confrontations, yet Sinner holds the edge in their previous two indoor encounters.
If Sinner clinches the tournament, he will return to the coveted No. 1 spot.
Additionally, defending champion Alexander Zverev went head-to-head with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz battled against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.
