Jamie Murray swiftly dismissed Clare Balding's cheeky suggestion that Arthur Fery should go to the pub after the British wildcard's stunning Wimbledon quarter-final victory over Flavio Cobolli. Fery, appearing on Centre Court for only the second time, dominated the No.9 seed 6-4, 7-6, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals, where he will face Alexander Zverev.
Fery's Sensational Run at Wimbledon
The 23-year-old, who received a wildcard entry, has now secured £900,000 and is just one win away from the final. Only one wildcard has ever won the Wimbledon title — Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. Fery looked composed throughout his straight-sets victory, though he admitted the reality was quite different. "Definitely not calm on the inside!" he confessed in his post-match interview. "I felt emotions that I've never experienced before in my life in that last game."
Balding's Advice and Murray's Reaction
During the BBC's post-match coverage, Balding said: "Enjoy it, but don't get carried away. You can say no to some requests." Murray interjected: "I think get carried away. It's incredible, what a run he is on. Revel in it!" Balding then suggested: "Go to the pub!" That proved a step too far for the two-time doubles Grand Slam champion, who replied: "Maybe not." Todd Woodbridge, part of the panel with Tim Henman, then joked: "He's not Nick Kyrgios. He's not going to do that!"
Murray's Advice for the Semi-Final
Murray added: "He's been on an incredible run, we hope it keeps going. It's going to be a big step up playing Zverev next. He's one of the biggest servers in the game. Get out there and love it, the experience and keep doing your thing. You're going to have the whole crowd behind you."
Fery's Response and Future Plans
Fery, reflecting on his achievement, said: "I don't know what I'll do over the next couple of days, I've never been in this position before! I guess it will be the first time and we will figure it all out as we go. I'm just going to keep going. I've been doing a great job for the past 10 days, so I'm just going to do the same thing and see where that takes me."
