Cheered on by a crowd of childhood mates, Valentin Vacherot walked a third-set tightrope in his home-town tournament before beating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, on Friday to gatecrash the semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Open.Â
The unseeded Monegasque, born a stone's throw from the tournament venue in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and playing at "my club", joined the top three seeds in the semi-finals.
kAmw6 H:== 7246 E@A\C2?<65 r2C=@D p=42C2K @? $2EFC52J] (@C=5 }@]a y2??:< $:??6C A=2JD p=6I +G6C6G]k^Am
kAmQ%92E D@F?5D 2>2K:?8[Q D2:5 '2496C@E] Q$F49 2? 9@?@FC 7@C >6 E@ 36 A2CE @7 E96 D6>:\7:?2=D H:E9 E96 E9C66 36DE :? E96 H@C=5 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H J62CD]Qk^Am
kAmp=42C2K 2?5 $:??6C 3@E9 4CF:D65 E9C@F89Â H:E9 DEC2:89E\D6ED H:?DÂ 62C=:6C @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAmp=42C2K 6IE6?565 9:D 4=2J\4@FCE CF? @7 G:4E@C:6D E@ `e 2D 96 4CFD965 p=6I2?56C qF3=:< e\b[ e\_]k^Am
kAm$:??6C 6IE6?565 9:D H:??:?8 CF? 2E |2DE6CD `___ 6G6?ED E@ a_ >2E496D 2D 96 3CFD965 2D:56 u6=:I pF86C\p=:2DD:>6 e\b[ e\c]k^Am
kAm+G6C6G 32EE=65 A2DE qC2K:=:2? E66?286C y@2@ u@?D642 f\d[ e\f Wb^fX[ e\b]k^Am
kAm'2496C@E 6?565 E96 52J 3J 8:G:?8 9:D 72?D 2 C@==6C\4@2DE6C C:56]k^Am
kAmw6 DE2CE65 3J C24:?8 c\` 29625 282:?DE 7:7E9\D665 s6 |:?2FC 3FE 2==@H65 E96 pFDEC2=:2? E@ =6G6= 367@C6 3C62<:?8 :? E96 `_E9 82>6 E@ E2<6 E96 7:CDE D6E]k^Am
kAms6 |:?2FC 3C@<6 EH:46 E@ E2<6 E96 D64@?5 D6E]k^Am
kAm%96 |@?682DBF6 8C23365 E96 E9:C5 D6E :?:E:2E:G6 H:E9 2 7:7E9\82>6 3C62< 3FE 2=>@DE 92?565 :E DEC2:89E 324< 367@C6 D2G:?8 2 3C62< A@:?E :? E96 ?6IE 82>6]k^Am
kAm~? '2496C@EVD ?6IE D6CG:46 82>6[ s6 |:?2FC C2465 E@ 2 _\c_ =625[ 3FE 4966C65 @? 3J E96 4C@H5[ '2496C@E D2G65 2== E9C66 2?5 E96? 2 7@FCE9[ 367@C6 9@=5:?8]k^Am
kAmQx <?@H >JD6=7[ F?92AA:=J x 5@ E9:D D@ @7E6?[ x 5C@A 2 3:E 2E E96 DE2CE @7 E96 82>6[ E96? x C64@G6C[ 6G6? 7C@> _\c_[ E92?<D E@ >J D6CG6[Q D2:5 '2496C@E]Â k^Am
kAm'2496C@E 82==@A65 E@ EH@ >2E49 A@:?ED :? E96 ?6IE 82>6] s6 |:?2FC D2G65 3@E9 H:E9 5C@A D9@ED E92E 4C6AE @G6C E96 ?6E] (96? E96 pFDEC2=:2? EC:65 E96 EC:4< 282:?[ '2496C@E 2?E:4:A2E65 E@ 62C? 2 E9:C5 >2E49 A@:?E H9:49 96 E@@< H:E9 2 3=2K:?8 7@C692?5]k^Am
kAm#@2C65 @? 3J E96 4C@H5 2== 6G6?:?8[ '2496C@E A=2?E65 9:D 766E E:=E65 9:D 9625 2?5 C@2C65 324<]k^Am
kAmQp== E96 8FJD FA E96C6 492?E:?8 2C6 2== >J 36DE 7C:6?5D 7C@> H96? x H2D ?:?6[ `_ J62CD @=5[Q 96 D2:5] QxE :D C2C6 7@C 2 A=2J6C E@ 92G6 E9:D 492?46]Qk^Am
kAmQx 2> D@ =F4<J E@ 92G6 2 E@FC?2>6?E :? >J 4=F3] Â x 42? ?2>6 `[___ 7246D :? E96 4C@H5]Qk^Am
kAm'2496C@E[ H9@ H2D C2?<65 @FED:56 E96 E@A a__ 367@C6 96 H@? :? $92?892: :? ~4E@36C[ 4=:>365 E@ `e :? E96 p%! =:G6 C2?<:?8D]k^Am
k9am\ Vp DE6A 7@CH2C5V \Â k^9am
kAm$:??6C[ H9@ 925 D2:5 9:D 6?6C8J =6G6= H2D ?@E C:89E H96? 96 5C@AA65 2 D6E E96 52J 367@C6[ H2D 92AA:6C H:E9 9:D 7@C>]k^Am
kAmQx 766= =:<6 :E H2D 2 DE6A 7@CH2C5 E@52J[Q D2:5 E96 xE2=:2? 27E6C 362E:?8 r2?25:2? pF86C\p=:2DD:>6]k^Am
kAmp=42C2K[ A=2J:?8 qF3=:< 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6[Â 3C@<6 :? E96 @A6?:?8 82>6 2?5 925 7@FC 3C62< A@:?ED :? E96 E9:C5 82>6 3FE 4@F=5 ?@E E2<6 2?J]Â k^Am
kAmqF3=:< 3C@<6 324< :? E96 7@FCE9 82>6 2?5 =65 b\a[ 3FE p=42C2K H@? E96 ?6IE `_ 82>6D 2D 96 C2465 E@ G:4E@CJ]Â k^Am
kAmQx DE2CE65 E96 >2E49 AC6EEJ H6==[Q p=42C2K D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmQx 925 A@:?ED E@ 36 EH@ 3C62<D FA 2?5 5:5?VE >2<6 :E 2?5 E96? x =@DE 2 3:E @7 E96 766=:?8 @? E96 32==]Â k^Am
kAmQx 925 E@ CF? D:56 E@ D:56 2 =@E[ 925 E@ 5676?5 2?5 E96? 2 76H 82>6D 82G6 >6 2 =@E @7 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 >2E49] x H2D A=2J:?8 288C6DD:G6=J 2?5 x A=2J65 2 8C62E 2?5 D@=:5 >2E49 282:?DE 2 A=2J6C E92E J@F 5@?VE <?@H H92E E96J H:== AC@5F46 ?6IE]Qk^Am
kAm;4^A3^62k^Am
