Arthur Fery is aiming to follow in Emma Raducanu's footsteps and become Britain's next Grand Slam champion after storming into the Wimbledon semi-finals. The 23-year-old defeated Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Centre Court on Wednesday, setting up a clash for a place in the final.
Fery's Breakthrough at SW19
Fery's victory over Cobolli was a dominant display, with the Brit dropping just one set across his four matches so far. He credited his earlier win over the Italian at the Australian Open this year as a confidence booster. "I felt, as I said on court, not comfortable but a bit more confident in playing someone that I'd played before on a big stage," Fery said. "Even throughout the match I felt like it was very, very close. At times he was serving really well. But I felt like I had always a little bit, not of leeway, but a little bit of an edge. Yeah, managed to get through the second, which was huge, and then got through the third."
Inspired by Raducanu's Run
Fery drew inspiration from Emma Raducanu's fairytale victory at the US Open in 2021, which followed her breakthrough at Wimbledon the same year. Raducanu, then 18, reached the fourth round at SW19 as a wildcard before retiring due to breathing difficulties. She then won the US Open as a qualifier, becoming the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam. Fery recalled: "My memory of it was that it was impressive how she didn't let the occasion get to her. She would just keep going match after match, playing well, beating top players. That was until the title. It's very tough to do when you're not used to being on the stage, on such a big stage. She did it great when she won the US Open. Yeah, I've been trying to do that, as well. Just take it match by match, play my game, put what I do best on court, yeah, keep doing that."
Road to the Final
Fery's run to the semi-finals has captured the imagination of British tennis fans. He will next face a yet-to-be-determined opponent as he seeks to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray in 2016. His performance has drawn praise from all quarters, with Princess Kate reportedly sending a message of support after his quarter-final win.
