Novak Djokovic was stunned by world no 204 Valentin Vacherot
Vacherot became the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history
Vacherot could face his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final
Valentin Vacherot became the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history after stunning Novak Djokovic in straight sets in Shanghai.
The qualifier, who is ranked at number 204 in the world, triumphed 6-3 6-4 over the ailing Djokovic in Saturday's semi-final in one hour and 41 minutes.
The pair traded breaks in the first two games, with Vacherot instantly cancelling out Djokovic's early advantage.
However, the Serb twice received treatment from the physio on his lower back in the opening set, and Vacherot took the lead with a three-game winning streak, without dropping a point on serve in that run.
Djokovic attempted to fight back in the second set, but he had to hold off two break points in the first game to make a positive start.
Vacherot earned another important break in the penultimate game, though, before successfully defending a break point and seeing out the match at the second time of asking.
"I'm trying to pinch myself, is this real?" said Vacherot after the biggest win of his career.
"I know not many of you guys wanted me to win," he told the crowd.
"To have Novak on the other side of the court was, first of all, an invaluable experience for me. I have a hundred feelings right now."
Vacherot could face his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final.
Data Debrief: One for the books
Vacherot may have started the tournament as the 204th-ranked player in the world, but his run to the final has now ensured that into the top 100 for the first time.
He is just the sixth player this century to reach his first ATP-Tour level final at a Masters 1000 event, and the first since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Monte-Carlo in 2022.
Vacherot has become the first Monegasque player to reach an ATP-level final in the Open Era.
On the other side, Djokovic has now lost consecutive matches at ATP level against players ranked outside the top 200 for the first time in his career.
