Damir Dzumhur launched a furious tirade at the umpire during his first-round match at Wimbledon, also drawing in British wild card Arthur Fery. The Bosnian was a set and a break up when he disputed an uncalled let, demanding honesty from Fery and berating the official. The incident derailed his momentum, leading to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 defeat on Court 16.
The Disputed Let Call
Dzumhur insisted a let had been missed during a point he lost. He told the umpire, "It was a let," and then addressed Fery, who had approached the net. "You played the point, you didn't stop," Dzumhur said. "No, no, no. You won the point, let's be honest." He gestured at the umpire and added, "I don't care what he's saying. Can you be honest and say you didn't stop?"
Fery confirmed twice that he hadn't stopped, saying, "I didn't hear the let." Dzumhur pressed him: "Look in my eyes and say this, you didn't stop?" When Fery held his ground, Dzumhur turned to the umpire and asked, "Did you see the let?" The umpire said no. When asked if he heard it, the answer was again negative. Dzumhur retorted, "So you are that bad that you didn't hear and everybody heard? You are that bad? You made the mistake. And he [Fery] stopped."
Momentum Shift and Collapse
Before serving, Dzumhur told Fery, "Fair play man, as always." The outburst proved costly. Fery broke back to level the second set at 2-2, then won four straight games to take it 6-2. He dominated the third set 6-2 and closed out the fourth 6-1. Dzumhur, ranked No. 123, had been in control but lost focus after the argument.
Fery's Victory and Background
Fery, 23, became the first British man and second British singles player overall to reach the second round. He is among the heirs to a £200 million fortune. His next opponent is Otto Virtanen, who upset fourth seed Ben Shelton in a final-set tie-break. Fery said after the match, "I just tried to stay focused and play my game. The let call didn't affect me." Dzumhur declined to comment after the match.
Match Statistics and Impact
Dzumhur won the first set 6-3 and led 2-0 in the second before the incident. He hit 12 aces but made 38 unforced errors, compared to Fery's 22. Fery converted 6 of 12 break points. The win marked Fery's first Grand Slam main draw victory.
