Cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech will meet in a dream final of the Shanghai Masters after pulling off stunning semifinal upsets of former champions Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
World number 204 Vacherot became the lowest ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final after he defeated a struggling Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday.
Hours later, Rinderknech knocked out former US Open champion Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to complete an extraordinary family double.
“I can’t even say it’s a dream because I don’t think even one person in our family dreamt about it,” Rinderknech said about facing his cousin in Sunday’s final.
“It was a dream that came out of nowhere.”
Qualifier Vacherot troubled Djokovic with drop shots and punishing rallies, and the Serbian fourth seed, struggling to turn, took medical timeouts during both sets.
“This is just crazy. … Just to be on the other side of the court [from Djokovic] was an unbelievable experience,” said Vacherot, who became the first player from Monaco to reach an ATP Tour final in the open era.
Djokovic broke Vacherot in the first game of the match, but the 26-year-old immediately broke back and had built a 4-3 lead when the Serbian took his first medical timeout.
Vacherot won the next two games with ease to secure the first set and put Djokovic through a 12-minute battle for the first game of the second set, which the 38-year-old managed to win after saving two break points.
A double fault led to Djokovic losing his serve as Vacherot took a 5-4 lead that tipped the set in his favour.
“Such a pleasure to play at least once against you. Don’t retire,” Vacherot told Djokovic as both players shook hands at the net.
Four-time Shanghai Masters winner Djokovic congratulated Vacherot, who is set to break into the top 50 in the world rankings.
“Going from qualifications, it’s an amazing story. I told him at the net that he’s had an amazing tournament but more so his attitude is very good and his game was amazing as well,” the world number five told reporters.
“So it’s all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals, and the better player won today.”
Vacherot, far left, and Djokovic interact after their semifinal [Jade Gao/AFP]
‘I’m going to fight like crazy’
World number 54 Rinderknech threw caution to the wind after losing the first set to Medvedev, getting an early break and saving five break points in a 12-minute game to go 3-0 up in the second.
Medvedev struggled with the 30-year-old Frenchman’s strong returns, finding the net from the baseline multiple times as Rinderknech won the second set 6-2 as Vacherot watched from the stands.
A decisive break secured the third set for Rinderknech as Medvedev saved the first match point with a 207km/h (129mph) serve down the middle but gave away the second with a double fault.
“I was like, ‘You know what? Maybe I’m going to lose, but I’m going to fight like crazy,’” Rinderknech said.
“‘I’m going to make him tired for tomorrow, and at least I’m going to help [Valentin] to at least try to start the match a little bit ahead physically.’
“Then somehow I got the break and then another one finished the set, and then I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to try everything and give it my best,’ and somehow it worked out.”
Rinderknech, right, celebrates with cousin Vacherot after the semifinals [Hector Retamal/AFP]
Fancied pair Gstaad and Distant Storm were beaten as 25-1 outsider Gewan won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle, Gewan drifted towards the near-side rail in the closing stages having been prominent throughout but was able to fight off favourite Gstaad (7-4) who finished second and Distant Storm (9-4) who came home in third.
The win represents a return to form for Gewan, following a poor run when favourite at Doncaster in the Group Two Champagne Stakes last month.
“[I am] very lucky to get the ride on him,” Doyle told ITV Sport.
“He did an impeccable job. Once he got that rail he stuck at it very well.”
Trainer Aidan O’Brien was seeking a record-breaking ninth win in the seven-furlong race with the market leader Gstaad or his stablemate Italy, but the latter only managed eighth.
The Dewhurst is the leading race for two-year-old horses on the flat calendar and is used to provide pointers to next season’s Classics – the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and the St Leger – which can only be contested by three-year-olds.
Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is the number one choice of the Luton Town board to take over as manager at Kenilworth Road.
The 33-year-old has held talks with the Hatters and is in pole position to replace Matt Bloomfield who was dismissed earlier this week.
Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens made it down to the final two but Wilshere is close to landing the job. A deal is yet to be finalised.
Wilshere was then overlooked for the permanent job, with the Canaries appointing Liam Manning, and was also linked to Plymouth Argyle before Tom Cleverley took charge.
Luton, who have suffered back-to-back relegations, have experienced a poor start to the 2025-26 campaign with five defeats from their opening 11 games to leave them 11th in League One.
Wilshere was under-18 coach at Arsenal before joining Norwich and was a contender for the Gunners’ Under-21 role in the summer before withdrawing.
Popularity has long played a role in the Strictly Come Dancing results, and an expert has revealed the celebrity and pro partner who could be lifting the Glitterball trophy this year
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An expert has predicted this year’s Strictly winner – and it’s not entirely to do with the dancing (Image: PA)
It’s no secret that Strictly Come Dancing goes beyond the dancing. It allows viewers at home to connect with the celebrities and their dance partners, see beneath the facade, and unpack a deeper human connection that can ultimately determine how they cast their votes each weekend.
Popularity has long played a role in the Strictly results – whether viewers vote for their favourite soap star or their preferred pro dancer who has that bubbly personality. While their dancing skills come into play, many will vote for their overall favourite couple, regardless of whether their rhythm was out of sync during the Samba or they stumbled in a Salsa.
Just last weekend, formerApprentice star Thomas Skinner and his Strictly professional dancer, Amy Dowden, became the first couple to be eliminated from the show following a public vote. While many fans were in agreement over Thomas’ early exit, having scored a mere 13 points out of a possible 40 from the judges on Saturday night, viewers were left furious by Amy’s early exit, especially as she is known as “one of the most universally loved professionals”.
READ MORE: Strictly’s Vicky Pattison apologises after being forced to pull out of BBC showREAD MORE: Strictly star Anton Du Beke shares dancing ‘struggle’ as he gets older
Amy missed the 2023 series of Strictly due to a breast cancer diagnosis, and was forced to bow out midway through last year after suffering an injury. It was hoped by many that this would be her comeback year, and fans were quick to accuse the show of ‘doing her dirty’ by pairing her with the arguably unpopular Skinner. Indeed, in the run-up to the show it emerged that he had had an affair just weeks after he married the love of his life” Sinead.
The former Apprentice hopeful, 34, said he had a “fling” with an “attractive” single mum who gave him a free cosmetic treatment after they met in a pub – describing his indiscretion as a “moment of madness”. But the woman in question, Amy-Lucy O’Rourke, insisted it was a three-month-long affair and Thomas acted like a boyfriend with her by doing errands like fixing her car and teasing a possible marriage.
The scandal no doubt did little to endear fans of the family-friendly show to him, and when it emerged that he had two left feet, they were far from forgiving. Addressing why fans sacrificed Amy for Thomas, Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley, a Consultant Psychologist told The Mirror:
“Thomas was always going to be a divisive contestant. Loud, affable, and relentlessly upbeat, he came in carrying the archetype of the showman; the confident extrovert who fills every silence. But Strictly isn’t built for bravado; it rewards sincerity and self-awareness. The qualities that make Thomas entertaining elsewhere… his hustle, his catchphrases, his high energy… don’t easily convert into emotional connection on the dance floor.
“Producers seemed to know this, pairing him with Amy Dowden, who is one of the most universally loved professionals, in what felt like an attempt to soften his public image. Amy’s warmth, patience, and emotional intelligence gave the partnership a gentle sincerity, but it never quite sparked.
“In many ways, Thomas symbolised everything Strictly isn’t: noise over nuance, performance over feeling. Viewers want transformation; a glimpse of humility or self-discovery and that never really came through. His early exit wasn’t surprising; it simply reflected a mismatch between personality and format.”
Another couple who may have fallen victim to the popularity trap is England rugby star Chris Robshaw and his Strictly partner Nadiya Bychkova, who despite their obvious skill also found themselves in the bottom two last weekend. The expert believes Chris’ quietness may be to blame but suggests that with time, all that will change.
Dr Louise shared: “Viewers warm to contestants like Chris when they begin to lower the armour and let humour and tenderness replace stoicism. He’s likeable and steady, but perhaps too understated? His journey will depend on whether he can turn competence into connection and allow emotion to replace precision.”
When it comes who will win and why, the expert believes the outcome is already written. “In the end, Strictly isn’t about dancing. It is about what happens when people risk being seen and are met with warmth instead of judgment. We watch because it stirs something primitive, that being the need to witness courage played out safely, to see others stumble, recover, and rise again,” she says.
“Beneath the glitter, it remains a modern ritual of vulnerability and repair; a reminder that we are, at our core, social creatures who long to see courage met with care”, Dr Louise added.
So who will life the 2025 Glitterball? “Ellie Goldstein brings something profoundly human to this year’s Strictly; an unfiltered joy that reconnects people with what dancing is really about: expression, belonging, and play,” says Dr Louise.
“She’s the embodiment of lightness, not just in her movement but in her spirit. Watching her feels restorative, like being reminded of the part of ourselves that still delights in life without self-consciousness.
“Her partnership with Vito Coppola amplifies that energy. He is instinctively protective, emotionally fluent, and endlessly kind… qualities that make him one of the show’s most intuitive professionals. Together, they radiate warmth and sincerity. Their connection feels safe and joyful in equal measure, and that balance cuts through the noise of competition.”
The expert added: “Ellie also carries the mantle of representation with a grace that never feels performative. She’s expanding what audiences understand as ability, but she does it by simply being herself; open, funny, and alive to the moment. In a year where Strictly has needed to recover its heart after stories of tension and conflict, Ellie and Vito restore it effortlessly.”
BBC presenter Laura Jackson has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her father after he died following a battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer
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Laura Jackson has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her dad following his death (Image: Dave Benett, Dave Benett/Getty Images for Walpole)
BBC presenter Laura Jackson has shared a heartfelt tribute to her late father, who sadly lost his battle with cancer.
The host of ITV2’s Take Me Out: The Gossip and BBC One’s Ready or Not took to Instagram to reveal her father’s diagnosis with Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that affects the lining of the body’s internal organs.
She penned: “My darling dad. The last five months have been the hardest of my entire life.
“I’ve felt like an iceberg trying to hold it all together on the surface, trying to carry on through life but beneath the surface has sat the depth of my grief, waiting for the moment it would finally break through – but I don’t think I even believed the moment would actually come.
“We watched you die on Saturday night – I will never not unsee you leaving us – they said it would be peaceful but all I have is pain, loss and such sadness.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“There is nothing peaceful about the fact you are not here, Dad.
“The last few weeks were so hard when the Mesothelioma tried to take charge. You were so brave and so strong.
“I feel so sad, I really don’t know how to live my life without you.
“Things will never be the same again. I love you so much, I miss you so, so much already. xxxxxxx fantastico xxxxxxxx.”
Laura sweetly added: “It’s been a privilege to be your daughter.”
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Her post was met with an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike, including Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu who commented: “Oh Laura I’m so deeply sorry.”
One supporter wrote: “I am so sorry Laura, he sounded like an incredible man. Sending you love and strength.”
Richard Madeley has now been married to Judy Finnigan for 39 years, but before the pair took the plunge and moved in together, he went on a unique solo trip to seriously consider the decision
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Richard Madeley had an unusual method of deciding whether or not he was ready to move in with Judy Finnigan(Image: Getty Images)
Richard Madeley has opened up about the unconventional way he knew he was ready to take a big step in his relationship with his now-wife Judy Finnigan.
The Good Morning Britain presenter revealed he took himself off on a “solo holiday” before moving in with Judy, because he wanted to be absolutely certain he was prepared to become a stepfather to her twin sons, Dan and Tom, who were seven years old at the time.
While on Busted star Matt Willis’ On the Mend podcast, Richard explained: “Judy and I worked together for years before we even talked about the prospect of getting together. One of Judy’s main concerns was obviously her kids. They, you know, came first front and foremost in any move that she might make.”
He continued: “I remember her saying to me when it became clear that we were falling for each other and we were tentatively beginning to talk about maybe having a life together, ‘you’ve got to understand I come in a three pack — it’s me and Tom and Dan.’”
Richard said he took her words to heart and wanted to be sure he could truly commit to the role of stepdad.
He shared: “So I went off to Greece for two weeks on a kind of a solo holiday to think about it because I didn’t want to rush. I didn’t want to say with super confidence ‘Oh yeah, it’ll be fine, I’m happy to be a stepfather.’
“I needed to know that I could deliver and that I meant it, that I really meant it. So I went away for two weeks and just thought — basically sat on a beach for two weeks and just thought quite deeply about the future and about how I felt about it. And I felt very comfortable with it.”
When he returned, Richard told Judy he was ready, and the pair decided to test the waters as a family.
“We went away for a week together, all four of us. We rented a cottage in Cornwall just as a little trial to see how we all got on. And it was fantastic. We had a great time. And that kind of sealed it,” he said.
The couple got married in 1986 and went on to have two children of their own, a son called Jack and a daughter named Chloe, who has since become a TV personality and personal trainer.
Judy’s twins, who are now in their late 40s, have chosen to live their lives away from the public eye.
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Richard and Judy are one of Britain’s most loved TV duos. The couple co-hosted This Morning from 1988 to 2001, and went on to present their Channel 4 chat show Richard & Judy until 2009.
Although they no longer work side by side, they are closer than ever. While on Kate Thornton’s podcast White Wine Question Time recently, Judy shared: “We are incredibly close, we always have been. Obviously, I think working together for so long has bonded us more tightly than if we had two completely separate jobs.”
