Novak Djokovic vs Valentin Vacherot Tips

Vacherot played his best tournament of career to get to semifinal at Shanghai. But he just can't continue against Djokovic. The gap in class is huge, and Djokovic came to Shanghai with clear motivation to win. He beat quality players on his way here, and can play three sets at good pace if needed.

Vacherot could be a smart pick against Djokovic tomorrow because he's playing with nothing to lose and has been striking the ball cleanly all week. His aggressive baseline game and solid serve can trouble Djokovic if he maintains a high first-serve percentage and keeps points short. Arrived at this point, you have to give it to Vacherot. Plus, his connection to Rinderknech, who is like family on his grandparents' side, makes the potential of a final between them even more exciting, especially since Rinderknech is on the other side of the draw against Medvedev.

On paper, this looks like an easy win for Novak. Vacherot is ranked 200+ in the world. Against a top player like Novak, I don't see him getting much luck.

Djokovic has won the first set in 9 of his last 10 matches against players ranked outside the top 100. Expect a fast start.

Valentin is serving really well and will be very hard to break. His return is also working really well, so at the price, it is worth backing to take the first set.

Valentin Vacherot is serving and returning really well and playing great tennis. So he may well take out Djokovic, who has been struggling with his fitness of late.

Given Djokovic’s superior ranking, experience, and clay court proficiency, he is positioned to dominate beyond narrow set margins. His ability to generate decisive breaks and maintain a high conversion rate of opportunities suggests he will comfortably cover the handicap. Vacherot’s limitations make a comeback improbable.