Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech are set to contest one of the most extraordinary ATP Tour finals in history when they face off in Shanghai on Sunday.
Vacherot, ranked 204 in the world, was two points away from exiting the tournament in qualifying, but has gone on to defeat Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic on his way to the final.
Rinderknech, who is Vacherot’s first cousin and world number 54, joined the Monegasque qualifier in the final after defeating former world number one Daniil Medvedev on Saturday. The occasion will mark Rinderknech’s first ATP Tour final since 2022.
Very rarely do two unseeded players reach the final of an ATP Masters 1000 event, but these two players have defied all traditional logic by doing so in Shanghai.
However, two unseeded players have previously reached the final of an ATP Masters 1000 event, the last occasion being over 20 years ago.
When Tim Henman won the 2003 Paris Masters
British number one Tim Henman had struggled throughout the 2003 campaign due to a combination of injury and inconsistent results.
Henman was unseeded heading into the Paris Masters, but produced a stunning run to win his first and only Masters 1000 title.
The Brit defeated Russian star Nikolay Davydenko in the first round, before knocking out seventh seed Sebastien Grosjean.
Former world number one Gustavo Kuerten was the next to fall at the hands of Henman. The Brit then upset third seed Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, winning the contest 7-6, 6-1.
In the semi-finals, Henman defeated second seed Andy Roddick in two close tiebreak sets, setting up a final against world number 191 Andrei Pavel.
Pavel had beaten four seeded players on his way to the final, including future French Open finalist Guillermo Coria and fifth seed Rainer Schuttler.
In the final, Henman defeated Pavel in a close three-set contest, capturing the title by a scoreline of 6-2, 7-6, 7-6.
Henman’s three Masters 1000 final losses
Henman’s triumph at the 2003 Paris Masters marked his greatest title-winning achievement on the ATP Tour, and the last title of his career.
The Brit reached a further three Masters 1000 finals, but was unable to add to his collection.
Henman twice reached the final of Indian Wells, in 2002 and 2004, losing to Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer respectively.
His other Masters 1000 final loss came at the 2000 Cincinnati Open, where he lost to Thomas Enqvist.
