Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot added another chapter to his family drama at the Paris Masters on Wednesday, edging out his French cousin Arthur Rinderknech 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last 16 in their second Masters clash this month.

The victory came less than three weeks after Vacherot’s fairy-tale run in Shanghai, where he became the lowest-ranked player (No. 204) to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, vaulting him to 40th in the world rankings.

Their latest showdown at the Paris La Défense Arena lasted nearly three hours, with Vacherot admitting the family connection added extra tension early on.

“During the first set, I felt more tension than yesterday (in a straight-sets win over Jiri Lehecka). Was it because it’s Arthur in front of me? Maybe,” Vacherot told reporters.
“It’s easier to start a match against players I know less well. Anyway, against Arthur, the first set is always difficult. Then I felt better as time went on, and that was the case today.
“The first set wasn’t easy for either of us. We were very tense, and I think the crowd could feel it.”

The opening set proved a nerve-wracking affair. Vacherot squandered two set points in the tiebreak before eventually losing it 11-9. In the deciding set, he faced three break points at 0-40 at 3-3 but fought back, firing 32 winners to secure the win as Rinderknech’s unforced errors ultimately tipped the balance.

“It was different from Shanghai. The match was completely different,” Rinderknech said.
“There wasn’t much missing in terms of aggressiveness and winners. He deserves his victory.”