British wildcard sensation Arthur Fery, a Wimbledon native, continued his remarkable journey at his home Grand Slam on Wednesday, stunning No. 9 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy with a score of 6–4, 7–6 (4), 6–0 on the legendary Centre Court, making his way into his first Grand Slam semifinal.
The 23-year-old, currently ranked No. 114 worldwide, took just two hours and 14 minutes to defeat Cobolli, becoming only the second wildcard in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon men’s singles semifinals, following in the footsteps of Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
Fery unleashed an impressive 27 winners, blasted eight aces, and only made one double fault. He secured 78 percent of his first-serve points and a strong 65 percent on his second serve, all while consistently pressuring Cobolli’s service game.
He clinched the first set with a timely break, and after a nail-biting tiebreak in the second set, he surged ahead to sweep the final set without dropping a single game.
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“I’ve always had faith in myself and believed that I could be a top player in the world. Reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon is truly something else,”
Fery reflected on his journey, emphasizing his strategy of taking the tournament one match at a time.
“I’ve been focused on each match individually. I never looked too far ahead; I took it step by step, and now here I am.”
Although it was his debut in a Grand Slam quarterfinal on such a prestigious stage, Fery mentioned he gradually found his composure.
“As I mentioned on court, I wasn’t entirely comfortable, but I felt more confident playing against someone I had faced before on a significant stage.
“Throughout the match, it felt exceedingly close at times; his serving was impressive. Nevertheless, I felt like I always had a slight advantage. Getting through that second set was crucial, and I managed to dominate the third.”
The moment became even more special before the match as Queen Camilla greeted both athletes.
“She came over to introduce herself to Flavio and me. It was truly an honor to play in front of her. She shared some very kind words with me afterward as well. Competing in front of tennis legends and now the queen is genuinely a special experience.”
Cobolli admitted he struggled to establish his rhythm against the unexpected level of his opponent.
“I honestly don’t know what to say right now. I’m feeling quite sad and disappointed about how I played just minutes ago,”
“Arthur’s game was on point today; I believe it suited him perfectly. I don’t think I performed well from the very first point. Perhaps I was a bit anxious or felt the pressure, which is not something I usually experience.”
When asked if he felt Fery had improved since their last encounter at the Australian Open earlier this year, Cobolli responded affirmatively.
“In Australia, I sensed that his skill set was beyond that of a player outside the top 100. Now, he seems close to, I don’t know, rank 50.
“Today wasn’t my day. It’s possible he played better than before; I can’t speak for his previous matches, but I could feel his energy was elevated.”
Up next for Fery is a clash with No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, with a coveted spot in Sunday’s Wimbledon final on the line.
