Australian Open: Britain’s Arthur Fery makes statement with first-round win over Wimbledon quarter-finalist Flavio Cobolli | Tennis News

British world No. 185 Arthur Fery recorded a statement first-round win over Wimbledon quarter-finalist Flavio Cobolli in his Australian Open debut.

The 23-year-old Londoner impressed at the John Cain Arena in a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-1 victory against an out-of-form Cobolli, who was struggling with stomach problems.

Fery, ranked 185, was playing in her fifth Grand Slam major draw match having won the qualifying rounds without dropping a set, a form that prompted her mother, former tennis player Olivia, to travel to Australia.

The victory comes six months after Fery knocked out 20th-ranked Alexei Popyrin at Wimbledon, so being paired with a player of his caliber here could be seen as a good omen.

How Fery defied VAR drama to post a winning statement…

He got better and better as the tournament went on, completely dominating the latter stages as he won eight of the last nine matches, with Italian Cobolli seemingly not feeling well.

The long first set saw both players seek a video review, Cobolli in the seventh game after Fery appeared to be broken, when his opponent argued that the young British player had touched the net before the ball went out of bounds.

Fery, the British No. 7 player, challenged in the ninth game when he believed Cobolli hit his armpit while the ball boy was still in motion.

Both were obvious calls – with Fery on the right-hand side both times – however, in scenes all too familiar to Premier League football fans, the result took so many minutes that the players were already waiting to go on.

Fery didn’t let the incidents distract him, he said: “I didn’t know what was going on there, but I knew I had to. When I asked to replay the video, I knew the football kid was still running, so I had to wait.”

He put behind him the disappointment of not being able to open the field by hitting the air during the break, where he felt the bad mistakes of his opponent who was out of control.

Cobolli had been the predator but Fery – who is ATP-listed at 5ft 9in but compensates for his lack of height with fearsome athleticism and a quick arm – came close in the second set and earned his reward.

He is not afraid to come to the net and a bad return game gave him a break to take the second set, while Cobolli was beaten in the third, the Italian called the coach after three games and could not get an answer.

While Fery’s father and siblings watched the morning at home, his mother Olivia, also a professional tennis player, decided to take a trip to Melbourne after her final win.

“When I won the last round, he asked me if he could come,” said Fery. “I said, ‘Yes, it would be good to have you here’. Obviously it’s a long way, but at least I made it worth it. He can see at least two matches – hopefully more.”

Who is Arthur Fery?

Fery’s father, Loic, is involved in professional sports as the owner and president of French football club Lorient.

Fery, who was born in France but grew up in Wimbledon, said: “It really helped me at a young age to have two parents who knew how pro sport works and the pressures of it and keeping a good balance. I’m very lucky about that.”

As a junior standout, he chose to delay his transition to the professional game to attend Stanford University, while his progress was also hampered by a bone injury in his arm – the same injury that sidelined Jack Draper.

Since defeating Popyrin in four sets at Wimbledon, Fery has built momentum throughout the ATP Challenger Tour.

In August, he claimed his first Challenger title in Barranquilla, finished second at the Athens Challenger in November and reached three more quarter-finals – leading him to a career high of world No. 185.

Fery’s good form also saw him awarded a place in the Lexus Great Britain Davis Cup team for the first time when they played Poland in September. He recorded his first victory against Olaf Pieczkowski.

Next he will face Argentina Thomas Martin Etcheverry and Fery said: “I feel really confident. I feel that I shouldn’t play too much to play with guys like that.”

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