Arthur Fery has revealed details of a charming exchange with Queen Camilla after securing the most significant victory of his career at Wimbledon. The British wildcard defeated ninth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (4) 6-0 in just two hours and 14 minutes on Centre Court, earning a place in the semi-finals and a rise to at least No. 36 in the world rankings, making him the new British No. 1.
Pre-match encounter with the Queen
Fery met Queen Camilla twice on Wednesday. The first encounter occurred moments before he and Cobolli walked onto Centre Court. Fery said: "We were getting ready to come on and she came to say hello. She introduced herself to both me and Flavio. It's obviously an honour to play in front of her. Great to meet her."
The Queen was seated in the Royal Box alongside All England Club chair Deborah Jevans, watching Fery produce his finest display of the tournament. It was the first time this fortnight that he had triumphed in straight sets, having previously won two matches via fifth-set tiebreaks after losing positions.
Post-match congratulations and birthday revelation
After the match, Queen Camilla waited for Fery to congratulate him in person. He recounted: "She was waiting for me at the end of the match. She congratulated me. I told her how much of an honour it was for me to play in front of her. She just said, 'Congratulations, keep going'. I told her it was my birthday on Sunday, so it would be great to play the Wimbledon final on my birthday."
Fery's birthday falls on Sunday, the date of the men's singles final. He now harbours hopes of going the distance and contesting the championship match.
Fery's confidence grows from tough matches
Reflecting on his performance, Fery noted the physical and mental toll of the tournament. "It was hotter today, and I felt it definitely. It was good I only played two hours and a bit, which was nice for the recovery," he said. "I feel tired. I feel mentally tired, physically. That's been the case for the past five days. That's also something that's really grown my confidence. I now feel like I can play even when I'm tired, even when I'm stressed. In any conditions, I feel confident in my game and I know that I can just go out there and compete."
