Tennis fans have described Arthur Fery as an 'incredible talent' after his Wimbledon run ended with his semi-final defeat to number two seed Alexander Zverev. The match, watched by famous faces including former Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour and actor Benedict Cumberbatch, saw the local player beaten in straight sets by French Open champion Zverev.
Fans Flock to 'Arthur's Seat'
Thousands of tennis fans watched the match from Wimbledon's newly dubbed 'Arthur's Seat', with some camping out in the queue on Thursday night to try and get Centre Court tickets. Throughout the match, spectators could be heard chanting 'come on Arthur, let's go' as they used umbrellas to shade themselves from the heat, which reached as high as 31C on Friday.
After Fery's defeat, dozens of Wimbledon attendees stood up on the hill to applaud the players. Jenny Lester, 44, an engineer, sat near the front with her mother Geraldine Hayfield, 62, a retired nurse. Reacting to Fery's defeat, Ms Lester said: 'It's definitely very disappointing, obviously, that he hasn't made it through to the final, but you know Zverev was very obviously incredible.' Ms Lester praised Fery as an 'amazing' player, adding: 'It's absolutely incredible that we've got a British hope that's up there doing it…He's an incredible talent.'
Support from the Crowd
Oliver and Lina Pearce said the atmosphere on the hill during the match was 'amazing', adding that lots of people cheered on Fery. Mr Pearce, 53, a professor of orthopaedic surgery, said: 'I think everyone was desperate to boost him.' Mrs Pearce, 52, who works in transport logistics, said Fery made some 'amazing shots'. Bob Sackley, 77, watched the match on Centre Court and said: 'I mean the atmosphere was great. The support for Arthur was great. Just a shame he lost, but he did very well, and people really rooted for him.'
School Headteacher Praises 'Lion-Hearted' Spirit
Dr Anne Cotton, the headteacher of King's College School – which was attended by Fery, praised the player's 'resilience and determination'. She said: 'I speak often of the spirit we encourage within our pupils, and the lion-heartedness with which we want them to go out into the world and make their own way. I saw that same lion-hearted spirit in Arthur Fery on Centre Court today. Arthur showed great resilience and determination, and I congratulate him on how far he has come. We are all very proud of him.'
Celebrity Spectators and Standing Ovation
Also watching from Centre Court's royal box was Australian film director Baz Luhrmann and journalist Louis Theroux. Actors Martin Freeman and Damian Lewis, footballer Virgil van Dijk, and former BBC director-general Tim Davie were also in attendance. Fery walked off court to a standing ovation, with his recent run propelling him to 36th in the rankings – making him the new British number one.
