Surprise in Shanghai: World No. 202 Vacherot Takes Down Bublik

A name nobody expected. A score nobody imagined. This Friday in Shanghai, the tennis world witnessed one of its biggest surprises of the season. Valentin Vacherot, ranked 202nd in the ATP, pulled off the stunning feat of eliminating 14th seed Alexander Bublik in a rollercoaster match (3-6, 6-3, 6-4).

Some victories are worth more than just advancing to the next round. This one is a thunderclap, a call to take a closer look at this unassuming player, who hails directly from the principality of Monaco. Because against a Bublik who was sometimes brilliant, sometimes erratic, the Monegasque kept his cool. After losing the first set, he gradually raised his level and capitalized on the Kazakh's mistakes.

At 26 years old, he's not a young prodigy suddenly bursting onto the scene. He's a hard worker who went through the American university system (Texas A&M) and spent a long time away from the spotlight. This success opens the door to an unexpected third round in Shanghai for him, with a match against another Top 30 player: Tomas Machac (23rd).