Qualifier Vacherot ousts ailing Djokovic, sets up Shanghai final with cousin

An ailing Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Saturday by world number 204 Valentin Vacherot, who will face his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in a surprise all-family final.

Vacherot, a 26-year-old qualifier from Monaco, beat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 to deny him a chance at a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai.

He will next face his cousin, the unseeded Rinderknech, who came from a set down to oust Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

"I'm trying to pinch myself, is this real," said Vacherot after the biggest win of his career.

Vacherot is the lowest-ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final.

Djokovic, 38, struggled physically throughout the match, throwing up courtside and receiving medical treatment multiple times.

The former world number one said Vacherot's unlikely run in the tournament was "an amazing story". 

"It's all about him," said Djokovic. "The better player won today." 

Djokovic declined to answer questions about his physical state. 

He had said after his last match that he was concerned after battling vomiting bouts, leg injury scares and fatigue throughout the tournament.

However, he looked alert and seemed to be having a dream start when he broke in the first game.

The satisfaction was short-lived as Vacherot broke back instantly.

The Serb then began having issues in his left leg, stopping to stretch multiple times and dropping to the ground once.

He had to take an extended medical break, lying on his stomach shirtless as a physio attended to his back.

With Djokovic clearly unable to move normally, Vacherot broke again in the eighth game, then fired two aces to hold the ninth and claim the set.

In temperatures of 31C and humidity of 62 percent, Djokovic continued to struggle in the second set but held the first game despite facing breakpoint twice and falling again.

Serving in the ninth game he hit two double-faults in quick succession before recovering, only to ultimately be broken upon committing another.

Despite a last-gasp effort from Djokovic, Vacherot held serve and his nerve to seal victory. 

"I'm really, really proud of how I managed this match mentally, and to not focus too much about the fact that it was Novak on the other side of the net," he said. 

"The last game, I'm not going to lie, my hands were shaking."

Rinderknech had a tougher path to the final against Medvedev, another former world number one.

The Russian broke in the third game, and saved a breakpoint in the eighth to take the first set.

The 54th-ranked Rinderknech came out fighting in the second, breaking in the second game and then saving five breakpoints in the almost 17-minute third game.

Medvedev kept pushing, forcing the Frenchman to save another in an 11-minute fifth game.

But Rinderknech broke again in the eighth game to confirm the match would go to a decider.

The Frenchman had another close call in the seventh game of the third set, coming back from the brink twice, both times with an ace.

And in the end Medvedev, facing matchpoint, hit a double-fault to hand over victory.

Rinderknech dropped to the ground in disbelief and performed a somersault as his cousin rushed onto the court to hug him.

He said he was living "the dream undreamable".

"I just couldn't go past Medvedev... I was like, okay, I'm just going to fight, try to make him tired at least for Valentin tomorrow... Then somehow I broke him," he said.  

Medvedev said it had been a close match, but that Rinderknech had "served very well in important moments that made the difference". 

"He deserves to be in the final," he said. 

Asked who the crowd should root for on Sunday, Rinderknech said: "Doesn't matter. Tomorrow there will be two winners anyway."