![\"Valentin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ac410a81e6159cd54c12f76d96e9f56e.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nAlex de Minaur has been left deflated by another agonising big-match loss as local hero Valentin Vacherot continued his fairytale rise by reaching the Monte Carlo Masters semifinal.<\/p>\n
World number six de Minaur, with his mother in his player’s box at the Monte Carlo Country Club, saw another big opportunity evaporate as he eventually succumbed 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 against Vacherot, the Monegasque who has risen spectacularly over the past six months.<\/p>\n
It felt like one of those near misses that de Minaur berated himself for last season as he looked to have weathered a storm from the powerful Vacherot and gradually wore him down, only for the weary 27-year-old to summon one last blistering salvo to down the game Australian after an absorbing two hours and 24 minutes.<\/p>\n
The crowd at Vacherot’s home club, including family and scores of old friends, cheered him to the rafters as he finally overcame the typically resilient de Minaur, who saved two match points with audacious drop shots in the final game before falling to an unstoppable forehand service-return winner.<\/p>\n
Extraordinarily, it means the last four in Monte Carlo will feature the world’s top three \u2014 Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev \u2014 plus Vacherot, the man who this time last year was ranked 285th in the world.<\/p>\n
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Before this year, Valentin Vacherot had never passed the second round at his home Masters tournament. (Getty Images: Julian Finney)<\/p>\n
“That sounds amazing \u2014 such an honour for me to be along with the best three players of the last few years. To play Carlos in the semifinal in my home is amazing,” said Vacherot, whose stunning rise began at October’s Shanghai Masters when he won as the world number 204 after coming through qualifying<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before this year, he had never been past the second round at his home Masters tournament. He has now climbed into the top 20 for the first time.<\/p>\n De Minaur, meanwhile, will lose ranking points and slip from his career-high spot after reaching the semis at this tournament last year.<\/p>\n It is a dream semi for the organisers and the chances remain there will be a Sinner-Alcaraz final, which would be the big two’s first duel on clay since last year’s epic French Open showdown \u2014 won by the Spaniard<\/a> \u2014 and would also be a showdown to decide who will be number one in the world.<\/p>\n